Mercurial Arsenal playmaker, Mesut Ozil is unlikely to be in the squad to face off against league leaders Liverpool
According to reports, Ozil isn’t in the 18-man squad that traveled to Liverpool and it will certainly lead to further speculation about the German’s future in London.
Arsenal’s highest paid player has had a torrid time of things of late, seeing himself left out of the teams that face Bournemouth and Tottenham while he was also hooked off at half time against Brighton, a game which the Gunners went on to draw and in which they could really have used the German’s creativity.
While there has been talk of a rift between Ozil and Unai Emery, the Spaniard has brushed it off and on every occasion claimed that his decision not to use the playmaker was tactical in nature and that there is nothing more to it.
Creativity is becoming more and more of a problem for Arsenal as the Gunners failed to have a single shot on target all through the second half against Brighton.
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That’s not Emery’s only problem as he has had to manage a bit of a defensive crisis with both Mustafi, Holding and Bellerin nursing injuries. Mustafi and Bellerin could be back as they face late fitness tests, but nothing is set in stone.
If they do not return, then Emery could be facing the prospect of once again using Granit Xhaka as a defender, a move that hasn’t particularly worked out well for the Gunners so far.
Arsenal sit in fifth, 6 points ahead of 6th place Manchester United who have gotten a new lease on life since the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the manager of the team.
Arsenal will be looking to keep up a chase against Chelsea who are currently what stands in the way of the Gunners and a top 4 finish.