10 players with the most to prove
By James Dudko
7. Mesut Ozil, Arsenal
It seems like Mesut Ozil has been answering questions about his form and swatting away criticism of his performances every day since he joined Arsenal in 2013.
He finally got tired of doing the same for Germany, announcing his decision to quit Die Mannschaft following the World Cup in Russia. Ozil felt his Turkish heritage left him open to “racism and disrespect” at international level, per BBC Sport.
He’s taken flak from Premier League pundits and fans because he’s gone missing too often for the Gunners. Former manager Arsene Wenger always defended his man, something new head coach Unai Emery is already getting used to, even touting him as a potential captain, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard.
Emery is the latest to trust Ozil, who is under pressure to repay the faith. The pressure comes from Arsenal no longer being as reliant on him for creativity.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey and the emergence of youngsters Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe means the Gunners have other maestros who can pick up the slack.
Their presence can give extra motivation to Ozil, who will be desperate to prove he has been unfairly maligned by his detractors.