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Much maligned Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil had recently been given some time off and space out of the Gunners' first team, but you can soon expect the German to come back with a bang.
Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger decided to give the talented German four days back home in his homeland to spend time with family and friends as the Gunners' manager remains convinced that the player has needed time and space out of the first team to recover the form that made him a hero at the Emirates in Ozil's first two months at the club.
A series of poor performances, including a missed penalty and sub par showing in the Champions League first leg tie against Bayern Munich had meant that Arsene Wenger decided to give the German wizard some time out of the first team.
If you analyse the performances of Ozil since the end of December last year and compare them to today, there has been a distinct drop in the success rate of the German's passes and dribbles; whilst his bursting runs out of midfield into attack appear to have completely disappeared from his game. These darting runs are what made Arsenal's start to the season so strong. In his first five games, the German had already grabbed five assists. At Real Madrid, Ozil was amongst the most creative players in the world.
In part, it is easy to understand why Ozil's form is no longer up to scratch, especially since the injury to Theo Walcott in the FA Cup game against Tottenham in January. These two players compliment each other perfectly. Whilst Ozil finds the space and plays the perfect pass, Walcott will be looking for room around the back of the defence and be recipient of the German's stunning creative skills. Since Walcott's injury, the Gunners have struggled to recreate a similar outlet, despite Lukas Podolski appearing to have taken on more responsibility since January and having returned from injury.
So, having returned from a short break, will Ozil start to show the same abilities that made him a fan favourite in his first few months at the Emirates? In short, yes. The German is likely to play less of an instrumental role in Arsenal's creative approach in the next couple of months, especially with the recent good form of England hopeful Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But, it is likely that Ozil will be given even more freedom to play as a creative outlet from deeper and, with a crucial visit to Stoke City this weekend, expect to see the German return to form in stunning fashion.
Written by James Turnbull
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