Jose Mourinho may have a bit of a grudge against Arsenal, but there’s one player among our ranks who he has huge respect for. The Portuguese manager has always been a massive fan of Mesut Özil, and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson recently revealed some comments made by the Chelsea boss, when speaking to BBC Sport.
Lawrenson believes this is the season we need to make that step up, as we’re not likely to have a better chance of winning the Premier League. Last season’s champions – Chelsea – are struggling (understatement of the year), and there’s nobody who really looks like running away with it. Manchester City look like our main rivals for the title, with Manchester United and surprise package Leicester City snapping at our heels.
The player turned pundit highlighted Mesut Özil as a key player in our potential title push, and recounted comments made by Mourinho about the German international.
“This is the season when Arsenal have to win the Premier League. The worry is, they always seem to let you down,” Lawrenson said.
“One thing in their favour though is that this season Mesut Ozil has been fantastic. He really hasn’t got the column inches he deserves.
“Jose Mourinho once said to me, when sometimes he would turn his back in training with Real Madrid he could always tell when Ozil struck the ball. It made a different sound.”
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This says a lot about the quality Özil possesses, as while we all hate Mourinho there’s no denying he certainly knows quality when he sees it. The Arsenal No.10 has a number of qualities that make him unique, and the ability he has to manipulate the ball has been on display more than ever this season.
Özil boasts an incredibly deft touch, and clearly the way he strikes the ball is unlike any other player. Combined with his unparalleled vision, it makes him arguably the best playmaker in the world.
Lawrenson is right when he says this is our best chance at the title, as despite injuries we’ve shown we are capable of battling at the summit of the table. We’re top at the time of writing, and there’s nothing to say we can’t stay there for the rest of the season.
We’ve got a massive game coming up against Manchester City, a game which could go a long way towards shaping the final league standings.
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Özil is sure to play a massive part in any potential title push, so hopefully he remains fully fit and keeps performing the way he has been so far this season. He’s unquestionably the assist king at the moment, leading not only the Premier League, but Europe’s top five leagues as well in the assist charts; long may it continue.
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