Arsenal have two creators on their hands now, Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac.
The Gunners impressed against Burnley yesterday afternoon. Following consecutive losses to Southampton and Spurs, Arsenal turned it around and got back to winning ways. It was a crucial win, and the scoreline could give them a lot of confidence heading into the festive period.
However, of all the things learned from Arsenal’s 3-1 win, two things stood out to me. Those were the performances of Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac. They were both excellent in their own right, but it got me thinking…
Arsenal should prioritise the left-hand side
More from Arsenal FC
- Gunners do just enough to claim victory in season opener
- Arsenal: We bottled it but I don’t care
- Arsenal complete record deal for Declan Rice
- Arsenal splurges on transfers as they aim to collect silverware
- Arsenal complete the signing of Kai Havertz
Now, I’m not saying Arsenal should completely abandon the right flank. They have Hector Bellerin on that side who is a key figure. However, from an attacking standpoint, the left-hand side is Unai Emery’s best bet.
With Ozil being given the freedom to roam, he will naturally gravitate towards the left-hand side, since that’s where Sead Kolasinac loves to overlap. The Bosnian international is always looking to play crosses into his strikers, seems as this is where he excels.
He only has two assists this season, but the small number is not indicative of his input. Kolasinac is always creating chances for his teammates. In fact, some are even saying that Kolasinac is Arsenal’s main creator nowadays, more so than Ozil.
Mesut Ozil could prove Unai Emery wrong
Unai Emery was reportedly not a fan of Unai Emery a few weeks ago. Reports even went as far to say Ozil would be shipped out in January. But in true Emery fashion, he gave Ozil the chance to prove his worth, and he did just that yesterday. He played a delightful pass through to Kolasinac in the first half and picked up a late assist to the substitute Alex Iwobi.
Ozil’s importance to Arsenal is unmatched and it will take a miracle for that to change. If he can continue his good form into January, then Emery will have no reason to keep benching him.
Do you think Arsenal have found their source of assists in Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac?