Mesut Ozil Questions His Critics and Claims He's an Easy Target at Arsenal

Arsenal’s record signing Mesut Ozil has come out swinging amid criticisms regarding his form and work rate. The elegant playmaker has insisted that while he’s an easy target for condemnation, he’ll always back his ability and emerge stronger.

The German international midfielder endured a torrid start to the campaign, leaving many to question whether he should be guaranteed a starting berth in the Gunners’ XI, per Robbie Savage of the Daily Mirror. But the playmaker insists he is often judged unfairly, per German news agency DPA (h/t ESPN.co.uk):

"

I do have the feeling that I am seen more critically. That was already the case in the Bundesliga, and also at Real Madrid. But I have to live with that. It's not the first time.

The season has just started, we have new players on key positions and the teamwork, of which I am a major part, does not function from one day to another.

Ten weeks ago, I was voted into the Premier League XI for last season [on the league's website], I then won the World Cup, and this was followed by the summer break. And only a few games into the season everything is questioned once again?

I know what I am capable of and have always come out on top.

"

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Boisterous words indeed but the German will be acutely aware that the best way to silence his critics is by putting in better performances on the pitch. And after his man-of-the-match display against Aston Villa—he scored one and assisted another in a 3-0 win—Ozil looks to be finding his feet in an Arsenal jersey again.

Here, Squawka provides us with his excellent numbers from that dominant display:

His work rate also looked as though it was massively improved against the Villans, as noted here by Sky Sports Football:

While there have been detractors during the infancy of this campaign, for those who are reasonably inclined, Ozil’s class has never been in doubt. It’s merely a case of Arsene Wenger playing him in the best position for him to showcase those qualities.

For the majority of the campaign, Wenger has decided to play the German in a left-sided berth, a position that suits neither Ozil's stylistic or physical attributes. The miles he puts in are typically understated, but Ozil just doesn’t have the dynamism or defensive nous to cover his full-back sufficiently, meaning Arsenal have been a little exposed on the flanks.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Against Villa, Ozil was back in his preferred No. 10 role, and it’s absolutely no surprise that he dazzled.

The 25-year-old demanded possession, found space at will and threaded those gorgeous little passes into dangerous areas at will. He was a threat throughout the game, and with his defensive duties shed, the team looked much more cohesive and balanced as a whole.

Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph thinks Ozil has made his point after the sparkling display against Villa:

Ozil is a player that’s shone on the biggest stages in the game, and although he played in a withdrawn role on the left during Germany’s World Cup triumph, that doesn’t mean he’s capable of operating in that position in the Premier League—a landscape that requires players to be much more industrious out on the flanks.

Arsenal regularly come up against sides that look to sit deep and limit the space, and Ozil is a player that is crucial for them. He has the footballing intelligence to exploit the tiniest of chinks in a team's defensive armoury, and if the Gunners are to harbour any serious title aspirations, his influence in those kinds of games—like the one at Villa in Week 5—will be critical.

Wenger gave Ozil a chance to show what he can do in a central berth, and if he wants to get the best out of his £42 million man, the Arsenal boss must give him a run in that position. Another virtuoso display for Ozil in next weekend’s north London derby against Spurs would surely render any talk about his class—as ridiculous as that is—completely irrelevant.