Where would Arsenal be without Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil?

23 November 2015 08:45

Not a week goes by without the World of football being rife with transfer speculation. The papers, Internet and fans seems eternally obsessed with where Cristiano Ronaldo will be next season, which big club has made a farcical bid for Lionel Messi and how many hundreds of millions Manchester City will spend in the next transfer window. With this in mind, it would seem to be ideal for any manager to tie their players down to the longest deal they can. This is exactly the opposite of what Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has done.

Whilst talking to Sky Sports, Wenger has said: “We have not started to talk about that with Mesut Ozil, [Sanchez] is the same situation - at the end of the year they have two-and-a-half years' contract. We have some time. We are not in a hurry”. This is despite apparent interest from Manchester United while the two forwards will inevitably have a number of admirers willing to stump up a huge fee to take either or both of the Premier League’s most sought after talent.

While the prospect of losing either of Sanchez or Özil is unlikely as of yet and inconceivable to any Arsenal fan, the question of where Arsenal would be without either of their superstars is an incredibly interesting one.

Mesut Özil moved to Arsenal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a reported fee of £42.5 million. After his arrival and initial good form he was forced to endure some poor performances and criticism as he struggled to justify the huge price tag and reputation he brought with him. Assists and goals came freely for Özil in 2013 for Arsenal before he began to struggle for form in the early part of 2014. He was criticised most notably for his performance in Arsenal’s 5-1 defeat against Liverpool and for his poor penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League which was saved by Manuel Neuer.

Özil’s record in the 2015/16 Premier League season is superb. He currently has 11 assists in 12 games with one goal for Arsenal in the Premier League. Özil’s impact on games has been questioned in the past with critics citing his lack of influence on games. However his impact this season cannot be underestimated. He assisted Kieran Gibbs’ equaliser against Tottenham while he has picked up two assists in a single game against Swansea and Watford which both ended in 3-0 wins. Away from Arsenal, Özil has picked up seven assists in six games since Germany’s 2-0 win over Georgia. Özil has become a literal pass master since his ascension into the lime light from the 2010 World Cup. His time with Real Madrid has only served to improve him technically while playing in front of the Real fans will only have helped to toughen him mentally. His record transfer to Arsenal hasn’t been seamless though. In the entirety of 2013/14 season he picked up nine assists in comparison to his 11 in 12 games this season, however he did contribute five goals to Arsenal’s campaign. Özil’s form once again dipped in the following season only picking up five assists and four goals in the campaign.

It is fair to say that Özil has blown hot and cold in his first few years at Arsenal. However this season appears to be different. A new life has seemed to reignite Arsenal’s title challenge as they now sit in second on 26 points, level with leaders Manchester City. In seasons gone by Arsenal would already have been out of the title race, languishing behind the leaders and thinking about what might have been after so much pre-season expectation from both fan and player alike.

It is evident then that Özil has been a catalyst for their early season good form contributing in a direct way to 11 goals, half of Arsenal’s goal tally in the Premier League this season. However it is not just the German maestro that has had an effect on enthusing both fan and team-mate alike. Chile’s Alexis Sanchez has been one of the most exciting and promising acquisitions by any team in Premier League history. The £35 million paid for him seems like a superb piece of business by the Arsenal hierarchy with Sanchez, at times, single headedly dragging Arsenal through games. He currently has six goals in the 2015/16 season to go with what was a superb début season in which he recorded 16 goals and eight assists.

Sanchez seems to possess that ability that all great forwards have, the ability to score not just the tap-ins but also pressure shots, long range efforts, free-kicks and penalties. While Sanchez still has a long way to go to be put in the same bracket as another Arsenal legend, it is interesting to note that a certain Thierry Henry started life as a winger before he was converted into a striker under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger. Is it so ridiculous to believe Sanchez can walk the same path?Two goals in Arsenal’s impressive 3-0 dismantling of Manchester United and three goals against Leicester City meant the season has begun in the same impressive manner as the last. However, a lack of goals and assists in Arsenal’s last three Premier League games has slightly stunted his excellent form, however this has not been terminal for Arsenal who have won two and drawn one of their last three. Of course no one doubts that Sanchez will hit form again and soon, however this perhaps shows Arsenal’s new steely resolve in that when their best player is unable to contribute they are still winning games through other sources, which is a huge contrast to seasons gone by.

Interestingly however, if all goals and assists from Sanchez and Özil were taken away from Arsenal, then it becomes evident that all other players have only contributed 12 assists out of 23 with Özil assisting 11 times while the team together has scored 15 times out of 22, with Sanchez scoring six and Özil once. The goal and assist stats alone tell the story of how much Arsenal need these two players, however it does also convey that Arsenal are not completely dependent on them. Although they may be ever so slightly over dependent on them, it can also be claimed that Manchester City are the same with Sergio Aguero and David Silva while Chelsea are the same with Eden Hazard. It is clear then that it is highly unusual for a team to not miss a player if they are unable to play.So where will Arsenal go from here? Every Arsenal fan would say that this is their year for the title and they will be there or there about by the end of the season and it’s hard to disagree with this. Bolstered by the superb transfer of Petr Cech and the emergence of Francis Coquelin in conjunction with their new defensive stability and, barring any injuries, they will surely be in the mix to lift the trophy they have so coveted for years.

If the Gunners failed to win then it would possibly be down to one reason. In every single area of the pitch Arsenal have competition for places and World class talent. This fact may only be untrue with regard to their strikers. While Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are both talented players in their own way, the likes of Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, all out and out strikers, are in a different league to Giroud and Walcott. This was the only area that Wenger seemed to overlook.

While only time will tell if not bringing another striker in will cost them the title, it must surely be an area that Wenger will look to strengthen in the summer. That is now the only difference between Arsenal and the very top teams. Arsenal have World class player in abundance all across the park but they are separated from the best in the World by their lack of a potent and prolific striker.

So can Arsenal win the Premier League? Of course they can. But would it be more beneficial for them in the long run not to win it this season? If they were to fail in their title challenge this year it would surely prompt Arsenal to bring in a big money signing with the likes of PSG’s Edinson Cavani constantly linked with a move away from his club. However it could of course work inversely with a title win attracting players to the champions of England.

Whatever happens over the course of the season, two things are evident. First is that Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez must be tied down to long contracts which keep two of the World’s best players in London. The second is that Arsenal need reinforcements up front. Their chances of challenging domestically and abroad will be enhanced exponentially with a proven goal scorer and maybe then they will be regarded as consistent contenders for the Premier League title.

Source: DSG