Since he joined us in September 2013, no player has created as many Premier League goals as Mesut Ozil.
An integral cog in our attacking engine, the German playmaker has established himself as one of the world’s foremost No 10s - but where does his ability stem from?
“As a child, I used to enjoy just playing around and obviously to give assists,” Ozil told Arsenal Player. “Ultimately, through that, you score goals and you help your team. And that’s why I still enjoy doing that today.
“On the pitch, whether I score goals or make assists, they’re both the same for me and that makes me happy.
“When I receive the ball in the opponent’s half, I always think offensively so I can pick out chances to score a goal or to assist someone. It’s normal that when I get the ball that I play forward. In my opinion, a creative player should have fun on the pitch and should follow his playing style to assist goals and score themselves.
“Ultimately, in my position, everything is always quite tight. The moment you receive the ball in midfield you’re already surrounded by three or four opponents who want to attack you. You just have to find the solutions quicker. So, for me, everything happens automatically.
“How do I feel when this all comes together? Obviously very positive and happy. Ultimately, football is a team sport and every one of your team-mates wants to work hard to help the team. When everyone is linked up it makes it a lot easier and it makes you really happy.”
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