OMG!! One Player Has More Assists Than Ozil In His First 100 Premier League Games 1

When it comes to players being a key figure at their club, few can match how important Mesut Ozil is to Arsenal.

The German international racked up his 100th Premier League appearance on Boxing Day and has been a vital creative source for the Gunners since joining from Real Madrid in a £42.4 million deal during September 2013.

However, his ability to delight the Arsenal faithful has not come without its frustrations.

Ozil is unquestionably one of the most gifted footballers on the planet when it comes to picking a pass or creating space, but defending is far from his forte.OMG!! One Player Has More Assists Than Ozil In His First 100 Premier League Games 2

But given the inspiration he so often provides at the other end of the pitch, most Arsenal fans are willing to turn a blind eye to his less than desirable work ethic.

One only needs to glance at his playmaking statistics over the course of 100 top-flight outings to appreciate why he is granted some leniency by his adoring Gunners fans.

The 28-year-old marked his century of appearances with an assist for Oliver Giroud in a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates on Boxing Day.

While the effort saw Ozil register only his third league assist of the campaign, it also took his overall tally to 36 – a figure bettered only by Manchester United legend Eric Cantona with 39 during the same period.

While it is obviously a record worthy of immense praise, it is difficult to the ignore the fact he probably could have come even closer or even matched the Frenchman given the Gunners’ dominance on Boxing Day.

Despite having only one goal to show for their efforts, Arsene Wenger’s men hit 26 shots at the Baggies’ goal with Ozil playing no less than seven key passes during the 90 minutes.

In contrast, the visitors managed just three shooting attempts, providing the widest margin in a top-flight match this season, and the highest Arsenal have recorded since beating Leicester 5-2 in September 2015.

The result means Arsenal will end 2016 nine points behind leaders Chelsea in fourth position ahead of facing Crystal Palace in north London on the News Year’s Day.