Arsenal were once again reliant on the brilliance of Alexis Sanchez for their 2-0 win over Hull City.
Granted, they received a little help along the way from Mark Clattenburg’s decisions, but the Gunners on the whole deserved a much-needed three points that took them level with second-placed Tottenham.
There was a time when Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were seen on a similar level by a lot of fans, but it’s fair to say that’s changed this season.
Ozil isn’t exactly proving himself worthy of a bumper new deal, with just 18 months left on his current contract.
Yet, this isn’t lost on Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager has handled Ozil with class, though, explaining what’s at the heart of his poor form rather than simply throwing him under the bus.
“Maybe it’s time for him to score a goal again,” he told reporters.
“He needs to find confidence again.
“He misses chances that don’t look unfeasible for him (to score).”
The playmaker missed another glaring chance against Hull, and it’s ramped up the pressure on him to perform against Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week.
After the final whistle against the Tigers, rather than applaud the fans with the rest of his team-mates, the German looked sullen and headed straight for the tunnel.
“I felt he was not completely confident, technically,” Wenger admitted.
Due to his contract situation, it’s quite possible that Ozil will leave north London this summer, but on current form, it’s going to be very difficult for the club to recapture the £42million they paid Real Madrid for him.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
