Robbie Savage tore into Mesut Ozil’s performance against Manchester City.
Big things are expected from Mesut Ozil every time he steps onto the field, and the Gunners star is frequently criticised if he is not the difference-maker.
A typical example was this weekend as Arsenal battled Manchester City to a 2-2 draw, with Alexis Sanchez and Jack Wilshere among the goals.
BBC pundit Robbie Savage tore into Ozil’s performance, telling 5 Live’s 606:
“It was like they were playing with 10 men. You can’t carry players, Ozil was that bad today.”
His stance was not unpredictable. Savage had written in his Mirror column ahead of the weekend that Arsenal must drop the German international.
Ozil was not instrumental in Arsenal’s attack, but he was not entirely listless either.
| Team | Touches | Key Passes | Final Third Passes | Tackles | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal | 70 | 2 | 28 | 1 | 90 |
The 25-year-old did about as well as he could considering he was played out of position on the left, rather than through the middle where he is typically most effective.
To slate him as Savage did when played out of position is akin to the running down Aaron Ramsey received when played out on the right, before being brought back in centrally.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
