Christian Eriksen vs Mesut Ozil: Is Tottenham star set to eclipse the German this season?

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Statistics of the Spurs and Arsenal stars have shown that one player is improving while another is below his usual level.

With Tottenham Hotspur improving in the last few weeks, it is easy to pick out a number of players who have contributed to what is now a five-match winning run following their 2-0 win over Chelsea on Wednesday. But Christian Eriksen is someone who deserves special praise as he makes a case to challenges Mesut Ozil as London’s most celebrated playmaker.

The Dane’s form over the last few weeks has been sensational, much like the performances of his midfield partner Dele Alli. But Eriksen’s stats, bolstered by his two excellent crosses for Alli in the Chelsea victory, are particularly impressive reading considering the mixed start he had to the season while the club negotiated a new contract.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen shoots at goal against Chelsea

The 24-year-old didn’t score in the league until the end of November, but since then he has gone on a superb run that has helped Tottenham to five straight wins.

In his last nine games, Eriksen has scored five and assisted five in all competitions, including supplying Alli’s goal in the Wembley win over CSKA Moscow.

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil

In the same number of games, Ozil has scored two and provided three assists, falling back into a routine of somewhat disinterested-looking performances mixed with flashes of creative brilliance.

The Spurs star is four years younger Arsenal’s record signing, and is moving into the stage of his career when he can push on and establish himself as a world class player.

Looking at the stats from the three years prior to this season, and comparing them to this year, it is clear that Eriksen is improving, while Ozil’s year has dipped compared to his previous form.

2013/14 season to 2015/16 season

Prior to this season, Eriksen was already established as one of the league’s more creative players, but he trailed Ozil, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas when it came to assists and touches per game – players at the peak of their careers – and was also behind Ozil and Silva when it came to total goal contributions (assists and goals).

Finding the net is something the Dane has continued to outperform the four creative players above in, despite his youth and step up from an inferior league when he moved to White Hart Lane in 2013, but it is worth noting that Eriksen has played significantly more games than the others listed.

2016/17 season as of January 4

The previous two years has seen the emergence of Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City as a creative force in the Premier League. This season he is topping the assists chart in the top flight, alongside a stellar campaign from Matt Phillips. But it is Eriksen who is next up when it comes to assists, and he is also level with Ozil for goals, despite the German enjoying a strong scoring campaign. The Gunner is surprisingly far down the list for providing goals for his teammates, though he has played a couple of games less.

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil (L) and Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen in action during the 2014/15 season

Notably, Eriksen has contributed more goals in total than De Bruyne and Ozil, while the Spurs star has also improved the number of touches he manages in each game, finding himself much closer to his Arsenal rival than has been in the case in past campaigns.

Are these stats a sign that Eriksen is developing into a stronger player? Certainly. Are they proof that he can establish himself as the top playmaker in North London, and perhaps even the Premier League? Ask again at the end of the season, but it certainly looks like the Denmark International is in with a shout.