Arsenal held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw in the north London derby at White Hart Lane despite going down to 10 men.
The draw saw the Gunners remain in third place on 52 points while Tottenham stayed in second on 55 points. Leaders Leicester City moved five points clear of Spurs following their 1-0 victory over Watford on Sunday.
Mesut Ozil started for the Gunners in the derby and here are three things we learned following his performance.
1. Does Mesut Ozil choke in big games?
Ozil is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the Premier League however, a constant criticism ever since joining Arsenal on a record breaking £42.5 million move from Real Madrid in 2013 has been his form in key games. The World Cup winner had appeared to have silenced critics when he scored against Manchester United and Bayern Munich earlier in the season but he came under fire after failing to provide an assist or goal in recent games against Barcelona and Tottenham. It is however, worth noting that Ozil scored and provided the match winning assist against Leicester City. The Arsenal star has also setup goals against Spurs and Manchester City this season.
"See that lad, way up there in the stands? That's Mesut Ozil in big games" pic.twitter.com/lxhWVGjYMp
— Daily Chelsea Views (@DailyFCChelsea) February 23, 2016
2. Zero chances created
Not performing in big games may be a myth but it is worth pointing out that Ozil failed to create a single chance against Spurs in the derby. Considering the 26-year-old playmaker has already created 115 chances this season – more than any other Premier League player – we can probably let him off with having an off day but he cannot afford to have any more no shows in big games at this stage of the season.
Got control like Mesut Ozil?
The boss is ready to control North London.#ACE16 #BeTheDifference pic.twitter.com/aaOtJLVsPV— adidas Indonesia (@adidasIndonesia) March 7, 2016
3. Better Passing
Ozil’s 69 percent pass accuracy during the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United was slammed however, he did perform a lot better against his north London rivals. The Germany international of Turkish origin had a passing accuracy of 82% and took 60 touches on the ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=PKTZbkWquQc
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