Arsenal and Madrid contribute to the machine’s excellent career in numbers
Mesut Ozil’s retirement ends the career of one of modern football’s greatest traditional number 10s.
The former Arsenal and Real Madrid player announced on social media that his contract with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir was coming to an end due to continuing injury problems.
Former Germany international Ozil won the World Cup in 2014 and also played for Schalke, Werder Bremen and Fenerbahce during his club career.
He secured a big move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2010 after his excellent displays at that year’s World Cup, Ozil won the LaLiga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
After moving to Arsenal in 2013, Ozil blossomed into one of the Premier League’s most creative forces, winning the FA Cup four times during his time in north London.
spells at Fenerbahce and Basaksehir were hampered by injuries as Ozil played four times this season, but the 34-year-old has left an unforgettable legacy.
Stats Perform takes a look at some of the key numbers behind Ozil’s memorable career.
The main creator
The 2015-16 campaign was arguably Ozil’s best in an Arsenal shirt, with his tally of 146 chances created in the Premier League by any player in a single season in the competition.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne came closest to breaking that mark when the Belgian created 136 goal chances for teammates in the 2019-20 campaign.
Ozil scored six league goals in the 2015-16 campaign, but scored another 19. That was the only time he recorded double figures in assists in a top season at Arsenal, which he achieved in three seasons in LaLiga. .
146 – Mesut Özil holds the Premier League record for most goals in a season with 146 in 2015-16 (since 2003-04):
146 – Mesut Özil (15-16)
136 – Kevin De Bruyne (19-20)
134 – Frank Lampard (08-09)
119 – Dimitri Payet (15-16)
118 – Florent Malouda (10-11)Generator. pic.twitter.com/QseA55uhhw
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 2023
Support machine
Ozil is one of four Arsenal players to have registered more than 50 Premier League assists for the club.
Denis Bergkamp (94), Thierry Henry (74) and Cesc Fabregas (70) have surpassed the total of 54.
Ozil’s prolific record as a creator began long before his move to north London.
The 122 assists he made in the ten seasons between 2008 and 2018 were only surpassed by Lionel Messi (133).
Starting in 2008, Ozil had 12+ assists for five consecutive seasons. At Werder Bremen, he scored 25 goals in two seasons in the Bundesliga before joining Madrid.
His numbers would improve in the Spanish capital, where he scored 47 goals between 2010 and 2013.
122 – In 10 seasons from 2008-09 to 2017-18, Mesut Özil assisted 122 goals in five European leagues, second only to Lionel Messi (133):
133 – Lionel Messi
122 – Mesut Özil
105 – Cesc Fabregas
93 – Cristiano Ronaldo
93 – Dimitri PayetAge. pic.twitter.com/FdceOpoStf
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 2023
Eye of the goal
While Ozil’s creative talent caught the eye, he also had a penchant for scoring and setting up goals.
His 33 top-flight goals in an Arsenal shirt is the highest tally by any German in the Premier League, behind City’s Ilkay Gundogan (39). Uwe Rosler, Jurgen Klinsmann and Leroy Sane round out the top five with 29, 29 and 25 respectively.
Ozil’s best season for goals in the Premier League was the 2016-17 campaign, when he scored eight times.
Galactico
It was at the 2010 World Cup that Ozil really made his name, starring in a young German team that reached the finals.
Ozil appeared in three World Cup finals, and is one of only five players to have created at least 10 chances from open play in three different World Cups (since 1966), along with Messi, Diego Maradona, Wolfgang Overath and former Germany teammate. Thomas Muller.
He was signed by Madrid after his breakthrough in South Africa and Ozil made 159 appearances for Los Blancos. Only three German players have played more games for the club: Toni Kroos (402), Uli Stielike (308) and Sami Khedira (161).
