The attacking midfield position has seen incredibly talented players in recent years, with Arsenal having signed some top-performing individuals. The Premier League, in particular, has been a witness to the skills of numerous talented players.
Presently, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City stands out as the unrivalled attacking midfielder. Over the last decade with City, the Belgian has consistently delivered outstanding performances, making him the most decisive attacking midfielder of the 21st century. According to the Daily Mail, De Bruyne boasts an impressive record of 169 goals and 283 assists.
Following De Bruyne on the list is Kaka, who accumulated 236 goals and 162 assists during his career. In the third position is David Silva with 160 goals and 209 assists. Notably, the former Arsenal player Mesut Ozil occupies the fourth spot with 121 goals and 240 assists, showcasing his contribution to the attacking midfield role.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Ozil will remain one of the best attacking midfielders we have had in the Premier League era.
He did not leave the club on the best note, but the German did a very good job for us when he played for the team.
We will be blessed if we can sign another player who will be better than the German.
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Now watch the trolls come out of the woodwork 😂😂
To think that one in particular, said we didn’t need Ozil 😂😂
So do lifelong fans who are not trolls and say the same about OZIL, that he was by a considerable distance our most harmful buy ever and a lazy coaster who cheated his team mates, his club, our fans, huis profession and himself by his consistent BONE IDLENESS.
He had huge talent but not the character to show it in our colours after ONE TOP SEASON and another half top season only. After that he “retired ” while still “playing” and trousering huge unearned wages.
I was thrilled, THRILLED , the day he finally, though FAR TOO LATE, left the club he cheated for five long idle years, out of seven all told.
Go for it Jon – if your thrilled I’m thrilled.
Next in line is Havertz eh Jon?
Keep supporting the manager and the players 😂😂
What’s with all the 😂😂😂? What’s so funny? Interesting use of the word troll – you’re obviously trying goad responses today; that’s basically what a troll is, to my understanding
Davi, you used more 😂 than me, so you must be a troll!!
Of course I’m goading those “fans” who said Ozil was rubbish, the stats prove he wasn’t and they just need reminding of the facts – what’s wrong with that?
It just seems a bit manic to me.
The stats prove he wasn’t rubbish as a footballer, but I don’t think anyone seriously said he was (it’s hard to argue such a decorated player was truly rubbish)- they don’t really speak to his actual impact at arsenal, which was far less impressive. Famously poor in the big games (there’s always exceptions, but this is generally true), weak on the ball, no aggression in him whatsoever, but he had talent for finding spaces, vision and excellent technique in many respects.
I’ll always maintain that we shouldn’t have signed him – we needed top players to show leadership or at least set a good example with their attitude, but ozil was the epitome of a luxury player, and we weren’t good enough to accommodate him at that time.
DAVI, I do NOT much disagree with how you put it.
But my attitude is a basic one and a simple truth. Put simply I have said, consistently across all my many years onJA, that LAZY players who lack consistent work rate and who wilfully refuse- as in OZILS LAST FIVE YEARS – to give regular one hundred percent EFFORT and to actually do their level best to EARN the ludicrous wage packages that all top level players get, are CHEATING their club and we fans , as well as their manager, teammates, profession and themselves.
Do you disagree with that fan philosophy of mine and if you do,then would you please mind explaining why ?
I do agree with you on this, Jon – ozil was exceptionally well paid, but in reality, any top level footballer is paid absolutely crazy money (their weekly wages are often much greater than most people’s annual salaries), and so any player who’s not giving their all, as he did not appear to be, really has to take a look at themselves.
Davi, your words “he did not appear to be” conflicts with the fact that MA played Ozil in every single game of his, so far, best run of undefeated games as manager….uo and until the coronavirus and players being asked to take a pay cut.
Are we to assume then, that Mikel Arteta wilfully played a lazy player who gave nothing to the team and was cheating the other players, the fans and the manager himself?
Is THAT what you really believe happened?
Or could it be his salary, his stance on wanting to know where the pay cut money was going and his other political stance on China?
. Can I ask you to think about both scenarios and tell me whether you think Mikel Arteta was derelict in his duties by selecting Ozil – or was he put under pressure by the owner to find a way to let him go at whatever cost?
I believe he worked hard in training, if that helps.
Ozil played 12 games under arteta – I’m struggling to verify or deny your claim, but that doesn’t sound like a lot for it to have been such a massive achievement.
I never liked him as a signing, but I do agree with you in that I do believe that he was badly treated in the end – whether that was purely politics, or because they realised a way to get out of their mistake (the inflated contract) I don’t know, but it did look to be very wrong from the outside. They gave him the contract and to my mind, weren’t honourable in how they acted. That has to include arteta who went along with it.
The twelve PL games I’m referring to, are those immediately before the coronavirus cancelled all football.
So do you agree with me that MA wouldn’t have played him in those games, if he was lazy, cheated on his fellow professionals, the fans and the manager himself?
That is the accusation being made against him and I would like to know if that’s something you agree with.
I think he was professional and hardworking in training – the testimonies from other players and arteta suggest he wasn’t a slacker in that respect.
In games, he wasn’t hardworking off the ball and frequently surrendered the ball easily under pressure – he showed no fight, which is lazy and is cheating everyone. He was clever and often influenced the attack, but he didn’t show grit or determination, he was coasting.
I suspect you are right that arteta would have kept him if it had been his choice – I would prefer that not the case, and would disagree with arteta wanting to keep and play him. He was another aubamayeng – we would have just been waiting for the penny to drop with arteta that the player wasn’t contributing that much and should be moved on, regardless of their previous achievements.
The first two league games ozil played for arteta were a loss and a defeat, then a win Vs it’d, and then 3 draws. Those 12 games weren’t consecutive and I’m not sure they were really very impressive – whatever we did that season was easily surpassed by our run last season, even if it was broken by occasional defeats. Arteta switched to the 3-4-3 formation later in his first season, which excluded ozil (possibly due to injury?), which had mixed results, except in the fa cup. I think you’re misremembering.
The first two league games were a draw* and a defeat
Thanks for the reply Davi.
I think you have looked at the wrong sequence of games.
I’m not talking about his first twelve games under MA _I’m talking about the 12 games leading up to the coronavirus lay off.
Ozil played in every one of them and we were unbeaten in twelve games.
When we returned, after the restrictions were lifted, Ozil didn’t play another game for the club, was dropped from the squad at both PL and in the european squad.
That decision had nothing to do with any football matters, in my opinion, but rather a political and monetary issue.
It’s water under the bridge now, of course, but if one looks at the situation leading up to the coronavirus and what happened afterwards, it was nothing to do with the player’s ability – thanks for the discussion, I enjoyed it. 👍
Ah I see the run you mean now – was getting confused because of the break coming mid season, and was only looking at league games. It’s the run between beating utd and losing to city in 2020. I think we lost a game to olympiakos during that run, which means it was 10 games in a row unbeaten. I really don’t find that run impressive because there were a number of draws against unfashionable sides, but that’s not down to any one player – we simply weren’t that good a side back then and arteta was trying to get something going.
Sorry, I can be very picky sometimes.
I did say the PL Davi (if I didn’t I should have done) but I hope you get the jist of my points / opinions?
He was a joy to watch, and in my honest opinion was never used to his great potential, I enjoyed his football, his insight and his outrageous skill he had
For me mate, I think Ozil grew a God Complex and believed he was the new messiah. Too self important for my liking.
But when he actually played football he was a joy to watch….
Ken even to this day your legendary wilful blindness about the minority of players we sign across the years who have let us down badly, never ceases to surprise me. No sane fan denies that OZIL had agreat gift of supreme talent.
In his case ,it was always and donly his TOTAL LACK OF CHARACTER, which I and MANY other Gooners too called out as harmful. He had one great season here followed by another almost as good half season , beforehis lack of character, what somewould call lack of “b.lls” became overbearingly obvious, except to the ,many wilfullty blind on JA, some of who remain unsighted to this very day.
Unlike you KEN , my philosophy about being an Arsenal fan is to ALWAYS put the good of the club before ANY, NO MATTER WHOM individual, be that a manager, owner, director, player or fan.
I am always faithful to that philosophy and WHEN and if individuals let our club down, then naturally enough I try my best to defend our club from the harm they do.
Even you do that sometimes ,examples being RvP, Cole and Bendtner, all of whom I have remembered you correctly criticising at times over the years. But when I DO IT, it meets with your antipathy!
Wilful and selective blindness is a terrible affliction KEN.
AND THE REASON WHY? BECAUSE IT IS DISHONEST and means you , with others too, put individuals you attach yourself to, above the short and long term good of the club you support .
Such as in the latter years of AW too. An ODD fan philosophy , I call THAT.
But that’s just YOUR opinion Jon and I kniw this will be a shock to you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a correct opinion.
I probably saw over 95 % of the GAMES MO played for us in one way or another and I base my opinion on that.
I DON’T base it on his body language, or the amount of running he did, or his attitude – I DO BASE it on the man’s ability, his footballing skills, his link up play with the likes of Sanchez… you know, the things that helped us end our barren run of trophies and ensured his career was the success it was.
Unlike RVP, who you mentioned, he never turned his back on the club, has never had a bad word to say about The Arsenal and still recognises what the club is doing today, with positive posts.
Never knocked Cole, as it was the club’s fault he left and Bendtner (?) is a new one for me!!
As for having an odd philosophy Jon, you are THE prime example of just that :
What, three or four days ago, you were preaching to all and sundry a out how a TRUE supporter backs up the manager and players no matter what – yet time after time after time you knock individuals who are currently the choice of MA with the scornful regularity of taking breath.
If anyone is being DISHONEST Jon, that encapsulates the perfect example of the word.
I don’t support Ozil, but I point out the FACTS, not opinions, relating to the man’s footballing legacy and your description of him bears no resemblance to the FACTS.
And there , KEN in your short post, sums up the massive gulf between our polar philosophies of what supporting our club means to us both.
I naturally, refute your untrue jibe about it being just “YOUR”(meaning MY) opinion.
That is plainly untrue, as very many indeed have aslo criticised OZILS NOTORIOUS IDLENESS WHEN WEARING OUR SHIRT.
And as for your latest distortion of what my posts have said, I take it as read that supporting a player means supporting those who help our cause and not lazy ones or those who coast or lack the necessary attributes to HELP our team.
But not otherwise, as to do otherwise would be to betray my own core fan philosophy of ALWAYS , WITHOUT EXCEPTION, putting the club above any individual, as I hoped you might have taken notice of in my post above yours.
Though, by now, I OUGHT to know that your wilfull blindness also covers not taking note of PRECISELY what I write and allows you to distort my posts and interpret them mistakenly, as you have been regularly doing for a great many years already. Sigh!
Your wilfull blindness, also covers not seeing ALL those MANY fans who agree with my view of Ozil. And who said so, OFTEN, on JA!
And a great number of realists would conclude that NOT giving your all in games, over a very long period of years, is EXACTLY what “TURNING YOUR BACK ON A CLUB” MEANS!!
Yet again Jon, your assumption that your opinion is supported by the majority of fans is just wild speculation.
How many times have you said to Pat that JA represents just a minority of fans around the world?
From memory, the last poll that you asked JA to conduct regarding Ozil, resulted in a positive vote for the player.
I am always amused that you never discuss a opinion on a one to one debate, rather than bringing in the props that you feel the need to have to support you.
I am fully aware that you and I are miles apart in our thinking regarding what supporting the club means and slagging off anyone, be it a manager players or other fans, is not my idea of what support means.
Of course one can give an opinion and that’s what I do.. it’s my opinion, not anyone else’s or the “vast majority” as you so often trumpet when you give yours.
Neither do I bring up what I have achieved in my lifetime as a means to belittle someone else’s opinion or the way they might use the English language.
I’ll continue to support The Arsenal, by going to every possible match I can,
by spending my money within the Emirates on food and merchandise, not go to other grounds unless The Arsenal are playing there and giving my own personal opinion, after watching a game and with regards to the individual players, the squad, the tactics and the outcome.
Having done that for over 70 years, I really don’t need you or anyone else to tell me how to support The Arsenal, but I did agree with your statement of a few days ago, telling all and sundry to support the manager and the players he selects – is it my problem that you practice that old analogy of “don’t do as I do – do as I say?
Ken though I am once again tempted to give my polar opposite alternative view, what would be the point debating this from the fairly distant past any further!!
Our minds will never meet and as A REALIST, I at least, have accepted that reality.
So, reluctantly, I LEAVE YOU WITH THE LAST WORD ON THIS DIVISIVE SUBJECT AND, AS EVER, STILL WiSH YOU WELL.
Ozil’s critic’s proven correct given his record since leaving Arsenal. The guy loves falling out with manager’s as well.
His record BEFORE leaving The Arsenal speaks for itself – just read the article, digest the stats and remember the top four finishes, fa cup wins and CS wins while he wore the shirt.
Who cares what happened AFTER he left The Arsenal, apart from the fact that he still does wonderful charity work?
Hi Ken
Ozil’s stat are good. But as I maintained before, he was the right player bought at the wrong time. He should have been feeding Van Persie (not Giroud or Walcott). No surprise that he did best when Sanchez came in to the club albeit for a short time and the other player that benefited was Ramsey who made intelligent runs into the box and had a good finish.
So although good I did not rate him that high as others because he needed top quality around him to flourish and lacked leadership.
There is some truth in what you say IGL, that’s why MA backed him 100% up and until the coronavirus and the shambles of players taking salary cuts.
I don’t think MO was the best player to ever pull on the shirt and I certainly don’t believe he would have been first choice in The Invincible squad.
But as you say, he needed the same class of player around him, who could feed of his vision and, for whatever reason, that wasn’t the case.
I believe that Santi Cazorla summed up what it meant to play alongside and with Mesut Ozil – take a look at what he said. That means more than ANY opinion from a supporter in my book.
Ken
I agree with you on the daft decision not to play him or at least be on the bench or in squads for many games. This is internal club politics.
I am not surprised about SC who was a class act (to me, he was a legend) and of the same level on MO. But I felt SC was a correct purchase and had leadership, played well with lesser players and the ability to control games which MO did not even though MO made more key passes.
I agree with you again with regards to Santi controlling a game – he is one of my all time favourite players.
Mesut wasn’t the type of player who could CONTROL a game, but he WAS the type of player who could CHANGE a game with his vision.
For me, the problem was, he was judged on his salary, not his proven ability… but of course, that’s just MY opinion.
Ozil only had one outstanding season, some decent ones, and some dreadful ones.
Overall, brilliant on his day, which wasn’t too often, so lazy off the ball we were essentially a man down out of possession, poor attitude as well.
Also, you don’t seem to realize that football is a team sport, and that trophies do not equate to a quality player. There’s rubbish players that have won world cups lets not forget, Mustafi being a perfect example.
And when Arsenal FINALLY won a trophy after a whopping 9 year drought, was it Ozil that stepped up in the final when we were losing 2-0? No! It’s was the likes of Santi, and Ramsey.
Here’s some FACTS for you to ponder over Jen (where’s that website?)
Here are the top ten goal assist players in The Arsenal’s PL history :
Bergkamp 94
Henry 74
Fabregas 70
Ozil 54
Ramsey 46
Walcott 43
Pires 41
Judas RVP 39
Cazorla 35
Saka and Vieira 33
Care to comment on those FACTS?
Some stats can be manipulated in any way to fit a narrative, everyone knows this.
E.g. If one striker scores 25 goals, and another scores 20 goals, who is the better striker? On the face of it, the one who scored the most.
However, 15 goals from that 25 were pens, whereas as 20 goals from the other striker were all from open play, and that striker does not take pens, so it’s not as if he even missed any.
Care to comment on that FACT?
Of course.
The stats provided were from the club itself and are giving actual “assists” not goals scored or penalties taken.
If one wants to, one can ignore or twist anything, but I wonder why you think the club would want to put out figures that don’t mean anything?
Any news on the website by the way?
All clubs keeps records and stats, and they don’t always mean what you think it does.
Well I’m still awaiting the link for the website about Havertz wages. I think that’s 6 times I have asked now. Strange how you knew what he was earning to create a narrative, yet provide zero evidence!
Jen Oh Jen, what are you on about!
I sent out at least eight websites on JA where the reported salaries of every Arsenal player can be found
I even reported that, seemingly, ESR is our second lowest first team earner at a reported £40,000 a week.
Now, if you don’t want to acjniwkwsfe that FACT there is nothing more I can do but rest assured I will acknowledge your website when you send it to me.
Back to the stats and despite your attempt to deflect from the “assists” to goals scored and penalties taken, the FACT is that the club have recognised Ozil as the fourth best in our PL history, so why are you trying to spin it away from what is, essentially, part of the club’s history?
Omg there are honestly no words! It’s honestly like I’m taking to CNN
So no website then Jen?
Caught in your own lies – that sounds like Fox News to me!!
My that as some great reading, and for me Ozil was a pleasure to watch at home and away games, and in Europe and will always remain a favourite with me, along with believe it or not RVP
Spoken like a true Gooner who knows a real footballer when he sees one!!