Mesut Ozil has outlasted three managers, he will not outlast Mikel Arteta.
Mesut Ozil got exposed under Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg, both managers came to the conclusion that the team was better off without him.
Whether that is right or wrong is a debate for another time but on both occasions, he outlasted the manager. He had that luxury of knowing that he could sit on his huge wage and just wait it out and it is a strategy that has worked.
He cannot do that anymore, not under Mikel Arteta and there are a couple of reasons for that.
The Arsenal fans support Arteta, they will take his side, for the most part, you could not say that about Emery and with Ljungberg, everyone and his uncle knew he was just a stop-gap appointment.
If Ozil wants to get into a battle of wills with Arteta, he will lose, there will be no misguided clamour from the fans to have him reinstated in the side.
The second reason is time, it is fast running out for the German playmaker, the days of him being able to wait out a manager are well and truly over with, it is now in reverse, Artea can wait him out.
Ozil now has a choice, buckle down and start to produce the match-winning performances he has in his locker or get used to life on the sidelines.
It has been a long time coming, it is good for the club, the fans and Ozil himself simply because he may actually respond in a positive manner when he accepts his options are now very limited.
The bottom line is that Mikel Arteta is the man that has the power to put Mesut Ozil out to pasture and Ozil probably knows that.