Mesut Ozil 'suffering' Arsenal without Santi Cazorla, says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
Saturday 4 March 2017 11:07, UK
"Suffering" Mesut Ozil becomes lost without his midfield provider Santi Cazorla, says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Cazorla, 32, was expected to rejoin Arsenal training in March but will miss the rest of the season after needing to undergo a second operation on his injured ankle.
Arsenal were level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and three clear of Chelsea when Cazorla last played four months ago.
The Gunners won all-but one of the nine matches Ozil and Cazorla have started together this season in all competitions, and Wenger believes Ozil's form has dipped because of his midfield team-mate's absence.
"He suffered a lot from the loss of Santi Cazorla," Wenger said. "Because Cazorla in deep midfield can get out of pressure, gets the ball played through to a player who is higher up and then Ozil is a player who, with the timing of the pass, with the ball at the right moment, he can always do damage.
"I don't want to make a debate about one player before a game like this. It's not Ozil alone who will win us the game. It's a strong team performance."
Arsenal face Liverpool on Saturday having won just three of their last 23 away matches against the Premier League's current top six clubs, but Wenger insisted he would not alter his approach at Anfield.
The 67-year-old believes 'parking the bus' against Jurgen Klopp's side only limits creative players like Ozil.
"I'm not a psychiatrist," said Wenger, when asked to explain Ozil's dip in form. "I think confidence plays a part. Ozil is a guy who, when you speak about parking the bus, if you want to park the bus then you lose Ozil. He is a guy who needs possession and with possession he is a marvellous player.
"If you play for Arsenal, you always owe us a performance," Wenger added. "You cannot say you want to play for Arsenal and not perform. Everybody wants to perform of course."
Defeat at Manchester City and Chelsea this season have extended a bad run of form in away fixtures, while Liverpool won 4-3 at the Emirates Stadium on the opening weekend of the campaign.
But Wenger, who maintains he is still making his mind up whether to extend his 20-year stay at the club, is ready to adopt a more all-or-nothing approach when his side head to Merseyside.
"We lost at Everton and City after being 1-0 up and basically it is because maybe we were not in the proactive position after we were 1-0 up, we were too passive," he said.
"After that, we lost at Chelsea under special circumstances a little bit. We didn't look like we played with enough freedom or enough belief that we would just turn up and do it and that is what we want to add to our game.
"What is most important for me now is the attitude to just go for it, go and take. What is linked many times with belief is a passive mode and not enough pro-active, you have to make things happen. It is always a mindset."
