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Published 12:54 IST, December 31st 2019

Mesut Ozil is statistically a better playmaker than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is the second best player in terms of chances created in Europe's top five leagues, beating the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.

Reported by: Minaam Ansari
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Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been enduring a tough campaign this season. The player did not enjoy the trust of former Arsenal manager Unai Emery. However, despite a decline in Ozil’s game time as well as his form, stats for the decade speak volumes about the player’s contribution to his team.

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Mesut Ozil created the second most chances in Europe's top five leagues

Mesut Ozil, who played for Real Madrid and Arsenal in the decade, has been considered as one of the best playmakers of modern-day football. According to Opta, Ozil created more chances than the likes of Lionel Messi (789) and Cristiano Ronaldo. Dimitri Payet has created the most chances (974) in the top five leagues across Europe in a span of 10 years. The French International is followed by Mesut Ozil who created a total of 916 chances. Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard is a distant third, creating 830 chances.

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Mesut Ozil opened up about his philanthropic activities

Mesut Ozil took to Twitter to announce that he had contributed towards 219 operations for underprivileged children. He also affirmed his commitment to taking this tally to at least 1000 surgeries. Ozil stated that he and his wife had pledged to help children before their wedding in June 2019.

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Mesut Ozil has endured a difficult campaign this season, having been left out of the starting XI on many occasions by former manager Unai Emery. He has just 10 appearances in the Premier League. He has one assist to his credit, but he is yet to score for the Gunners this season. Arsenal are placed 12th in the Premier League points table, bagging 24 points so far. They will next play against Manchester United on Wednesday, January 1, 2019 (January 2 according to IST).

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12:54 IST, December 31st 2019