Published 15:27 IST, February 25th 2021
Mesut Ozil continues to struggle at Fenerbahçe despite Arsenal exit as slump continues
Former Gunner Mesut Ozil continues to struggle at Fenerbahçe as he has failed to score or assist in any of his games since joining the Turkish outfit.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil continues to struggle at Fenerbahçe as he has failed to assist or find the back of the net since joining the Turkish club. Things had turned sour between Mesut Ozil and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal earlier this season as Ozil was left out of the 25-man squad. Finally, the midfielder's contract was terminated by the Premier League club in January as a solution for all parties involved.
Ozil Fenerbahçe stats
Ozil announced that it was a "dream come true" to join his boyhood club after Fenerbahçe completed the signing of Ozil for a three-and-a-half-year deal. However, Ozil has not lived up to the expectations of the Fenerbahçe faithful as he has failed to score or assist since joining the club. With 322 minutes on the pitch, Ozil has only managed to register four shots on goal with none of those attempts being of any real quality.
Since Ozil's joining, Fenerbahçe have been knocked out of the Turkish cup by İstanbul Başakşehir and have also slipped to third in the Super Lig. Despite these struggles, former Fenerbahçe and Turkey striker Ridvan Dilmen is optimistic that it is only a matter of time before Ozil begins living up to his expectations. "I did not expect Mesut Ozil to do so much. It is not easy. You play football for the first time after 10 months. A team was not built around Mesut, Mesut came to this team. I think the next season will be much better because his contract will be three-and-a-half years. Despite this, I respect his devotion," said Dilmen after watching the German international.
Ozil Arsenal stats
Since his arrival from Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee, Mesut Ozil had always played a pivotal role in Arsène Wenger's squad. The attacking playmaker made 184 Premier League appearances for the club and during this time he scored 33 goals and 54 assists. This run ended in the 2020-21 season when Ozil was left out of Arsenal's 25-man squad.
Mesut Ozil records
During his time at Arsenal, Ozil won three English FA Cups and recorded the second-most assists ever (19) in a Premier League season, a record only bettered by Thierry Henry (20). Ozil also holds the record for the most German Player of the Year awards (5). Despite such promise at Arsenal, Ozil has failed to live up to expectations in an inferior Turkish League.
Updated 15:27 IST, February 25th 2021