Nigel de Jong has warned Mikel Arteta on beIN SPORTS 11 (01/11/20 at 4:15 pm) that his decision to leave Mesut Ozil out of his plans might ‘bite him in the back’.
What helps Arteta’s cause, at this moment in time, is that he has Arsenal fans onside given their recent performances and results.
That win at Manchester United on Sunday just showcased the road they are going down and how he is making the right calls at the club.
But given the crazy nature of football and the Premier League, things can change in an instance, as former Man City midfielder De Jong lauded Ozil’s qualities as a footballer.
“If you look at the player Mesut Ozil then I think the creativity he has for the squad is impeccable, still,” said de Jong.
“Of course, he is now at an age. He’s not the young Ozil that we knew four or five years ago. But I think the type of player he is then I think for Arsenal, especially with the players they have in front, I think a player like Ozil can really help you forward.
“But I don’t know how the situation is right now between Ozil and Arsenal with Arteta. So, he cannot rely on him anymore and it could bite him back.”
Arteta’s decision to leave Ozil out has to be down to his lack of quality without the ball rather than what he can produce with it.
It’s pretty clear that the Spaniard likes to press high up, he likes his players to be aggressive without the ball and not allow the opposition to settle.
That’s not Ozil’s game because he is someone who picks those pockets at his own pace and works his magic in the final third.
Either way, the results of whether Arteta was right to leave Ozil out or not will only be proven at the end of the season.
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