Mesut Ozil Compared to Dennis Bergkamp by Arsene Wenger After Arsenal Win

Mesut Ozil is already writing his name in Arsenal folklore thanks to this season's spike in form, but manager Arsene Wenger has paid the German a major compliment by likening him to club legend Dennis Bergkamp.

The Gunners puppeteer assisted Gabriel Paulista's opener before getting on the scoresheet himself in Monday's 2-0 win over Bournemouth, after which Wenger praised the "complete" Ozil, per the Mirror's John Cross:

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Look at the numbers. On the assists they speak for him. He has become a complete sensational football player. I am very, very happy with his performances. He is one of the best in Europe certainly. In his position, he is sensational.

Bergkamp was more goalscorer than him and he was more of an assists man but now he becomes more of a goalscorer so they really are comparable. He has remarkable technical quality and something that I enjoy very much is the timing of his passes. If you think in the stand give the ball now, it is now. You have not finished your thinking and the ball has gone already.

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Arsenal are reaping the benefits of the £42.5 million they shelled out to sign Ozil from Real Madrid in 2013, a fee that broke the club's transfer record just as Bergkamp did back in 1995 after joining from Inter for £7.5 million.

The figures have transformed drastically off the field over the past 20 years, but there's only so much change on the pitch, according to Wenger. He added that Ozil's newfound scoring touch as a great improvement:

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Mesut was the focal point to our team because we had a new midfield again and he’s a guy who gives reassurance with his technical security and fluidity. He gives you slowly confidence.

I have seen a few good games from Mesut. What is important is that he convinces everybody he is not just a very talented player but he is working hard for the team and he has added scoring goals to assists. He is a complete player. I have not seen many of that quality. I don’t like to compare players but he is an exceptional player and you have to give me credit. I was always defending that point of view.

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Wenger is within his rights to seek out plaudits for the form of his star player, just as he's been culpable to attract criticism when transfers haven't gone to plan in the past.

Ozil now has 16 assists to his name this season and has scored five goals across all competitions, leading the Gunners to the head of the English top flight. Sky Sports Football confirmed he's even created more scoring chances than the entire Chelsea team:

Leicester City can reclaim the Premier League lead if they defeat Manchester City on Tuesday, but the fact Arsenal are even competing for silverware amid another injury crisis can be somewhat attributed to Ozil's form.

Bergkamp had the ability to pull Wenger's men through the mire when other parts of the squad perhaps weren't performing at their best; as long as he was playing, they stood a chance.

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Ozil is creating a similar aura at the Emirates Stadium of late, and there's the sense that when he's at his best, the rest of the players will follow.

The Mirror's Cross recently professed his belief Ozil is currently the best player in England's top flight, and reporter Liam Canning was in agreement:

However, there's also that lurking concern Ozil's accomplishments will count for little unless it means Arsenal ending their 12-year Premier League title drought, with Bergkamp having won three in his career.

Of course, that isn't to dismiss Ozil's prolific creative run in the Premier League, and Opta's Orbinho credited Ozil with the best minutes-per-assist ratio in the division's history, crafting a goal just over once every other game:

The World Cup winner still has a long way to go before he can be considered a legend of Bergkamp's status, but just two-and-a-half years after arriving in north London, he's well on his way to superstardom.

Wenger was fortunate enough to have a team of world-class stars at his disposal alongside Bergkamp at the turn of the century, and he'll hope the current squad can continue raising their game around the talismanic Ozil.