Santi Cazorla may be 30 years old, but he is the only other Arsenal player to come anywhere near the form of Alexis Sanchez. His four goals and excellent performances have not only won him the Arsenal Player of the Month award, but he has also been named as the PFA winner in the Premiership as well.
Theo Walcott may be back in contention for a starting spot, and Mesut Ozil is expected to rejoin the squad next weekend. Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey are also expected back in the next few weeks, but I don’t believe Cazorla should be dropped to make room for ANYONE else at the moment.
As the Gunners legend Ray Parlour said on Sky Sports: “He’s been superb. He’s really stepped up his game. He’s such an influential player on the ball, he can make things happen, he can see a pass, certainly in the last month or so.
“He’s knows there’s competition now. If he keeps performing the way he is, I’m sure he’ll be the first name on the team sheet in that midfield area, because he’s been absolutely brilliant over the last month.”
If you had to choose between Cazorla and Ozil right now, who would you pick?
game time and quality performances answer that question quite easily. but what a great question and choice to have to make.
If Xavi and Iniesta, Fabregas and Osca, can both play together in the same team fluently, so does Santi and Mesut. Its just a matter of bringing in there MATIC or BISQUiT. If you know what I mean.
Yes, but it may just look like that on paper as when watching barca in their pomp Xavi would be very much central midfield whereas Inniesta would be more in beetween a left winger to an edge of box striker who is completely adaptable. Fabregas and Oscar are box to box,
I wouldnt drop Cazorla for Ramsey or Ozil, they should have to wait for their chance to take it just like Cazorla has. I do believe Wenger will go with Aaron and Ozil when fit, and would also play Ozil Cazorla together even if it meant we look unbalanced and a touch soft in midfield.
Did Wenger say he was dropping Santi? I call that perfect rotation.
Two superb ball magicians.
Keep calm. There is nothing to complain about.
Exactly, Ozil sometimes struggles with the physicality of the PL, even Maureen said he was a 60 minute player when he managed him.
Play Ozil and sub him for Santi’s fresh legs and keep the opposition on their toes, not really that difficult.
Ozil has had a good few months to bulk up though im sure hes much more of a tank now, the way Jack and Rambo got built. Big injury lay off use that time to become a tank.
Agreed! He’s in top form for us right now! To drop him would be plain foolish!
Yeah but Wenger does foolish very well.
Like starting the season deficient in defenders after not replacing Vermaelen and loaning Jenkison or signing an injured player (kallstrom) or playing Ozil out of position.
OZIL PLAYING OUT OF POSITION IS FOR HIS DEVELOPMENT!!! 3432$£%$%^£645634576!!!!!!!!!!!
People need to stfu about that already or stop watching football, Central players who get deployed on the wing is for Development and they switch positions on the pitch anyway!
You dont think If santi atarts in the middle ozil and santi wont be swithcing position every 5minutes?
Choose between Ozil and Carzola right now? Ozil just came back from a 3 month injury, I wouldn’t want to rush him in. I’d prefer Cazorla for the Stoke match and when Ozil is fit, play him back in the middle. We did not spend 42.5 million on a player so he could sit on the bench. There’s a reason why he had such a big price tag and I think it’s only fair to let him prove it to you. 🙂
Ozil. We must milk every bit of Ozilesque goodness out of that £42M. Cazorla costs just £16M and it’s economically sensible to bench him from time to time.
@galen Stupid comments are the cream of this website buddy. Are you new?
Ha! ha!! ha!!!
@Twig pls don’t kill me with laughter. I did not want to comment before, but u forced my hands.
There is only one #10, Mesut Ozil.
No need to drop Santi, but the #10 slot belongs to Ozil.
Jack Wilshere is the #10 mate. Which Arsenal have you been watching?
What attribute does Jack have to take the #10 spot?
you are only saying this because Ozil costs more than Cazorla. For Arsenal, Cazorla has been a better player for the club. Not trying to hate on Mesut, but its simply the truth and Ozil doesn’t own any spot. No player on the team does.
Whether Cazorla plays or Ozil
is the least of Arsenal’s problems.
Having enough fit players is the issue.
Arsenal seems to always have 7-10
players injured or not fit.
So each week we have 10-12 decent
players available. Several of these i.e Mertz Chambers
Cazorla Sanchez are played every game.
The bench is made up of fringe players + yougans.
If we ever have Cazorla and Ozil available
at the same time that is not a problem but cause for celebration.
Youngans or
Youguns
Yoogoons
YouthieGoonies
YangYins
Youguys 🙂
jus play everyone in the same team…everyone will be happy
just rotate Cazorla and Ozil. Santi is in better form so he should be the one playing reguarly right now. Its impossible to predict the future so for now thats all we can look ahead at. Ozil against Stoke would be pretty stupid anyways. Mesut gets bullied off the ball too easily, Cazorla in these recent matches has shown he is much more suited for this match. He’s been making tackles, tracking back alot lately, and has been influential and has been linking up well with Sanchez. its a no brainer.
Cazorla to play more of the ruff and tumble games, Ozil for the more open ones.
if chelskie get Messi, then I give up, will be 7 yrs of domination before he returns to Newell’s Old Boys…
It never happen. Barca got banned from transfer activity until 2017.
And technical players like Messi do not like Mou style of playing.
What Never like ‘Sol will never join the spuds’.?
Ok I may get some stick here but I truly believe cazorla is the better player(im judging solely based on their appearances for arsenal). Im not really a big fan of ozil tbh after what I have seen from the past 18 months.
For me, both are pretty even in creative passing. Ozil is probably better at finding space and linking play. However, santi has better shooting, work rates, weak foot, set pieces and just about edge out in terms of dribbling. Ozil used to dribble past players in la liga for fun but cant seem replicate that in the pl, and his shooting has been woeful.
Tbh I dont tink ozil is cut out for pl nor is he suited to arsenal’s style on possesion play ( he devasting in a counter attacking team). Thats why cazorla is the better player, at least for arsenal, imo. But its still good to have 2 class players nonetheless
Both Ozil and Carzola should play. Carzola can move to the wing and replace either Welbeck or Ox. Welbeck like Van Gaal said is good from the bench. Ox though he has slightly improved his game , is still not up to standard especially looking at the number of goals and assists he has this season despite playing almost every game. Speed alone without end product is not enough for and attacking player.
If both of them give all out and performing well; play them all.
Once ARSENAL always ARSENAL.
Why this debate?.just be thankful
The two in the same team just don’t work that well. Put players into the available places in a team based on contribution (effort, technical, goals, assists, performance in training) and don’t try to form the team around or to accommodate players.
It’s a good problem to have. Secret is for the manager to man manage well in the rotation to keep both ‘relatively’ happy.
Wenger will drop Cazorla as soon as his “jewel”, jack Wilshere, will be fit to f*ck up our midfield again…!