Published 11:07 IST, September 10th 2020
Mesut Ozil takes shot at North London rivals Tottenham's lack of silverware in Q&A session
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil mocked Tottenham's lack of silverware during a recent Q&A session on Twitter. Gooners were impressed with Ozil's witty reply.
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German playmaker Mesut Ozil may not be Arsenal's most influential player anymore, but the World Cup winner with Germany still appears to be a popular figure among fans. This was confirmed even more, after he trolled their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, over their lack of silverware. Mesut Ozil conducted a Twitter Q&A session on Wednesday, where one fan named Jimmy Chilides asked if the footballer would choose to play for Tottenham or retire. Ozil replied stating he would join the Spurs only if he doesn't want to win a Cup.
Ozil's not-so-subtle dig at Spurs surely won the hearts of Arsenal supporters as the comments section flooded with Gooners hailing the 31-year-old for his well-placed jibe. One fan commented, "I take it back, he's well worth the £350,000 a week." Meanwhile, another fan lauded the German stating, "Give this man a statue already."
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Digs were fired at Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, who endured a difficult relationship with Arsenal from his time with Chelsea and Manchester United. Here are some of the best reactions from fans:
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Will Mourinho accept the challenge?
Tottenham's lack of silverware has repeatedly been targetted by rival fans looking to troll the North London club. Spurs have failed to add to their trophy collection since they lifted the League Cup back in 2008. Despite the massive progress made under former boss Mauricio Pochettino, all Spurs have to show is a runner-up medal in Champions League 2019 and a second-place finish in the Premier League 2016/17.
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Last season was particularly disappointing for Tottenham as the club failed to build upon their strong Champions League run. A string of poor results saw the dismissal of Pochettino. Jose Mourinho was brought in to steady the ship, but the Special One is yet to leave his mark in North London. Spurs finished their league campaign with a sixth-place finish, registering 59 points with 16 wins and 11 defeats.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal themselves, have been no good with respect to results on the pitch. The Gunners sacked Unai Emery last year in November, before replacing him with former captain Mikel Arteta. Arteta has, so far, worked well with the set of players, winning the FA Cup to conclude the 2019/20 campaign. Last month, Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties to win the FA Community Shield.
Ozil ready to play for Arsenal?
As for Mesut Ozil, the playmaker remains a distant figure at the club despite his enormous wages. The 31-year-old has not played for Arsenal since February when he took the field during the Europa League home defeat against Olympiacos. Ozil did not play a single minute for the club after football resumed in England in June.
While Ozil does not appear to be in Arteta's plans moving forward, the German sent a clear to message to his manager during the Q&A session. Responding to one of the fan queries, the former Real Madrid man wrote, "I’m fit and ready and doing my best. Unfortunately, it’s not in my hands to decide about the squad on the weekend. We will see."
Arsenal will kickstart their 2020/21 Premier League campaign on Saturday, September 12 at newly-promoted Fulham.
(Image Credits: Mesut Ozil Instagram/Twitter Handle)
11:06 IST, September 10th 2020