Joining Arsenal on the 2nd of September 2013 and having won three FA cups (Four if you count the 2020 FA Cup. I don’t), one community shield, an EFL and Europa league runner up spots, it looks as though Özil’s time at Arsenal is finally coming to an end.
The arrival of Özil in 2013 brought, not only a world-class playmaker and a big name signing that Arsenal fans had been crying out for, but it also brought hope. At the time we still hadn’t won a major trophy since moving to the Emirates stadium and Ozil’s signing brought the hope that our trophy drought would come to an end. It also brought hope to fans that this was the start of the Arsenal resurgence. It brought hope that the signing would be the catalyst that would bring Arsenal back to the glory years.
So what happened? Surely if Özil ‘s arrival brought Arsenal back to the glory years, this article wouldn’t need to be written. Surely there would be no doubt that Ozil would in fact be an Arsenal legend. At this moment in time, however, it is, and I imagine will remain a topic of debate for Arsenal fans for years to come.
The reason I decided to write this article is that I saw a comment on Twitter. A comment that I felt was absolutely outrageous. “Özil is a bigger legend at Arsenal than Bergkamp”. Obviously, it was a joke I thought. But it had a few likes and a few people agreeing.
I wrote out a response looking for their reasoning as to why they thought this, but I left it. I didn’t want to drag my followers through the cesspit that is Arsenal Twitter. Despite leaving it, I couldn’t forget it. I would ask my friends, who are mainly Liverpool fans, what they thought. Like me, they thought it was ridiculous.
I could do an entire blog on why Dennis Bergkamp is an Arsenal legend but just by typing, 120 goals, 3 Premier League winners medals, 3 FA Cups, 3 Community Shields, UEFA cup and Champions league runner up, is proof enough that Bergkamp is without a doubt an Arsenal legend. Now the argument could be made that Dennis was in a much better side. And he was to be fair. He was on the invincible side. But that was a team he greatly influenced.
The argument could be made that when Arsenal signed Bergkamp, he delivered on everything we perhaps expected Özil to deliver on? All I know is that I never heard an Arsenal fan complain about Bergkamp’s work rate. So, who is the bigger Gunner legend?
You can swap out Bergkamp from the comparison and bring in Liam Brady. Brady came under fire recently online when he said that Arsenal need to get rid of Özil. Özil fanboys rushed to their lord’s defense by the bucket load claiming how Özil has had a better career at Arsenal than Brady had. To be fair they have a point. Brady only won one trophy at Arsenal compared to Ozil’s three (Not counting Community shields).
So why is Brady regarded as an Arsenal legend and Özil’s legend status is debated? Perhaps it’s because Brady started his career at Arsenal? Was it because he won individual awards such as the club’s player of the year three times and became the first foreign player to win the PFA players player of the year? All I know is that with over 300 caps for the club and over 50 goals, Brady is considered an Arsenal legend and is ranked 8th in Arsenal’s greatest ever gunners.
So why isn’t Özil a legend? Özil has done a lot for Arsenal. As previously mentioned, he has won more silverware than Brady. He provided the most assists in the 2015/16 season, with 19, which led to him being voted as Arsenals player of the season. So why is this a hot topic of debate?
For me, there are a few reasons why Özil ISN’T an Arsenal legend.
It’s his wage. Reportedly at £350,000 a week Özil is Arsenal’s highest-paid player ever. When you have a player on that much money there is a certain expectation from fans. You need to be at least qualifying for the Champions’ league every year as well as challenging for trophies.
The conversation about being lazy should also never come into the conversation when you’re making that much money. Seeing Arsenal trail by a goal and seeing Özil casually jog around the pitch was an incredibly frustrating sight. He didn’t look like he cared.
When he missed the penalty VS Bayern Munich in the 2014 Champions League it looked as though he didn’t care. Not his facial expressions, mind you, but the lack of effort shown to make up for the miss. A club legend fights for his team. Especially when they take up the majority of its wage budget.
So, to make a long story short. I don’t believe that Özil is an Arsenal legend. However, I do believe Özil to be a different kind of legend. Özil is a legend for his charitable work. Most of which goes unpublicized. He speaks up for what he feels is right. Most recently speaking out against Chinas treatment of Uighur Muslims which a lot of people, myself included, believe is the reason he was dropped from the Arsenal team.
Özil is a legend in that regard. There are not many World cup winning players who have paid for 23 Brazilian children to have surgery. Not many World cup winners paid for 1,000 children to have surgeries in need and pay for over 100,000 people to be fed by the red cross. Not many world cup players would donate their world cup winnings. That is a different kind of legend.
I’ll finish up on a quote from the man who brought Özil to Arsenal.
‘’If you love to watch football, You love to watch Özil ’’