Mesut Ozil must improve if Arsenal are going to challenge for the Premier League title again, according to Gilberto Silva
Silva was part of the last Arsenal team to win the Premier League in 2004 – Arsene Wenger’s squad went through the whole season unbeaten – and the Brazilian insists Ozil is this season’s missing ingredient.
Wenger’s men trail leaders Chelsea by nine points and are currently in third position, where they face strong competition from Liverpool, Manchester United, Southampton and Tottenham just to finish in this season’s top four.
Ozil, who arrived for a club record £42m in August 2013, has experienced an injury-hit season to-date but since his arrival at Arsenal 18 months ago, the German has failed to reach the heights he previously enjoyed with former club Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old has regularly found himself played out of position on the left hand side of midfield to accommodate Spaniard Santi Cazorla.
And Silva, who formed a hugely successfully midfield partnership with Patrick Vieira for the Gunners, has called on Ozil to start delivering for Wenger.
“You speak about Arsenal and how they don’t spend big money on a player often but they did with Ozil and it is always a bit risky,” said Silva, speaking to Sportsbeat.
“Coming from Spain it is tough to adapt, it doesn’t always happen straight away.
“I think the most important thing is that the player understands the philosophy of the team, the philosophy of the manager and the expectation from the fans.
“I do really like him as a player but sometimes in the game he does look quite slow, although he has that quality to change the game.
“He can be more decisive for Arsenal for the quality he has, he can be much more decisive for the club.
“Arsenal hasn’t been able to compete with Chelsea and Manchester City for a few years because they spend money on big names and this is not the Arsenal culture.
“They don’t spend a lot of money to sign players but apart from that it is not easy to find a way to get back on track to win titles.
“It was important for them last season that they won the FA Cup but a team like Arsenal need more and I hope they find a way to achieve what they always look for.
“If you look at Chelsea, they spent a lot of money on a player like Diego Costa and he has settled really well and is scoring lots of goals, that has worked for them but it is not as easy for Arsenal.
“If the players concentrate on their job and pull together they can form a strong team and try to feel good in their play. “Sometimes people expect quick results but it doesn’t always work like that.”
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