Nacho Monreal has joined a growing list of ex-Arsenal stars who have come out in defence of former team-mate Mesut Ozil, claiming he was unfairly scapegoated for his work ethic. Ozil joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-club record fee of £42.5 million and was heralded as a player who could usher in a new era at the Emirates Stadium. However, the German World Cup winner was regularly called out for supposedly acting lazily on the pitch.
Getty Images SportOzil's hot-and-cold tendencies at Arsenal
Ozil spent eight years on the books at Arsenal, contributing 77 assists and 44 goals in 254 appearances. He arrived in north London as a genuine footballing superstar after impressing in a three-season stint for Madrid, though went down as one of the Premier League's most polarising players. Despite being an outrageously gifted technician and one of the world's leading playmakers, Ozil was derided for his languid body language.
AdvertisementOxlade-Chamberlain reignites old debate
During an appearance on Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who played alongside Ozil for four seasons before joining Liverpool, claimed the German received unwarranted pelters for his performances.
Oxlade-Chamberlain said: "Mesut was fun to play with and there was definitely an element with Mesut that was like, mad respect for him.
"That aura that he brings, it was always like, 'I want to do a one-two with Mesut here'. Or I'd try and find him and he'd appreciate anything really good.
"By the way, the conception of Mesut being lazy, absolute nonsense. Like, that fella would run 11.5k every game off the ball. Runs in behind.
"People just see, if he gives it away, is he going to start sprinting? That wasn't part of his game but the amount of running he did off the ball and people were saying he's lazy, I'm like, just look at the stats. You got no clue how much running he does off the ball."
Getty Images SportMonreal defends 'favourite player' Ozil
In an interview with GOAL, in association with BetMGM, Monreal backed up Oxlade-Chamberlain's testimony of Ozil and even went as far as calling the No.10 his 'favourite player'.
"I completely agree with Alex," Monreal said. "In my opinion, in my time as an Arsenal player, I think Mesut was one of the best players, my favourite player, probably the most technical player.
"People expected a bit more from him, but in my opinion, every time he played for Arsenal, he played well. He scored a lot of goals, made very many assists, he always tried to help the team.
"I don't know why people say that [Ozil is lazy]. I have great memories of Mesut."
Ozil's decline and unceremonious Arsenal exit
Though Ozil helped win three FA Cups under legendary manager Arsene Wenger, he was not a favourite of the Frenchman's successors, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta, and was left out of their Premier League squad for the 2020-21 campaign.
"Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated," Ozil wrote on Twitter. "I've always tried to remain positive from week to week that there's maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That's why I kept silent so far.
"Before the coronavirus break I was really happy with my development under our new coach Mikel Arteta – we've been on a positive way and I would say my performances were on a really good level. But then things changed, again, and I was no longer allowed to play football for Arsenal. No matter what, I will keep fighting for my chance and not let my eighth season at Arsenal end like this."
His contract at the Emirates Stadium was terminated in January 2021 in order to facilitate a free transfer to boyhood club Fenerbahce. Ozil made 37 appearances for Fener in all competitions before heading to neighbours Istanbul Basaksehir for the 2022-23 season, though played only seven times before deciding to bring the curtain down on his career due to persistent injury struggles.