Creativity is the essence of what makes Mesut Ozil great, but while the technical ability which underpins his brilliance with a ball is perfectly proportioned, his poetic licence appears to be wildly out of control.
Arsenal’s emperor of assists has been deposed this season, so far at least, by 20-year-old Alex Iwobi, who has three in five games, just one fewer than league leader Kevin De Bruyne. Invited to appraise the young upstart this week, Ozil enjoyed his most creative moment of the 2016-17 campaign.
“He reminds me of his uncle, Jay-Jay Okocha,” Ozil told the club’s official media channels. “He was a player I loved watching. Alex reminds me of a mixture of him and Edgar Davids. He’s really strong on the ball, also defensively, but he’s good in front of goal too.”
The Okocha comparison is a tempting one given the family ties, even if Iwobi’s brand of forward play is rather less exhilarating but rather more efficient than his unique uncle, who was so good they named him twice. But Edgar Davids? The man Louis van Gaal simply nicknamed ‘Pitbull’? A man who in his last posting in a career bubbling with physical aggression retired at Barnet after being shown five red cards in a little over a year?
Edgar Davids isn’t the first comparison one would reach for when analysing Iwobi, who by his own concession “hates defending” . Arsene Wenger has instructed Iwobi to devote as much time to honing those defensive skills as he does his attacking qualities although with an average of one tackle per game in the Premier League this season he is not approaching ‘Pitbull’ status just yet. He works hard but the act of winning the ball back is an underdeveloped facet of his game.
Still, even if the names attracted a quizzical look, the real point is that Ozil felt emboldened to speak of a 20-year-old in such favourable terms. Three weeks before the anniversary of his league debut — a 3-0 win over Swansea, coincidentally Saturday’s opponents — it is worth reflecting on just how impressive Iwobi’s ascent has been, and how important this young player now is to Arsenal.
Last season saw Iwobi deployed in a number of different positions — on the left, on the right, through the middle as a No. 10 and even as a deep midfielder — but Alexis Sanchez’s move to the lone striker’s role in 2016-17 has given the youngster a permanent home on the left of the most highly- functioning attack Arsenal have had in some time.
The 3-0 win over Chelsea at the end of September showed just how essential he has become. Ozil, Sanchez and Theo Walcott scored the goals which demolished Chelsea before half-time, but it was Iwobi who was named man of the match thanks to a scintillating and intelligent performance. It showcased the balance he brings to the team: where Walcott darts forward and makes incisive runs on the right, Iwobi comes inside to link up play on the left. His quick and clever use of the ball is vital to Arsenal’s work in the final third.
And the good news for Arsenal is that he seems to be getting better and better. Iwobi was never a child prodigy like Jack Wilshere or Cesc Fabregas; his level instead rises to the that of special players around him, their enhanced ability having a multiplying effect on his own. You can see it in how he combines with Arsenal’s best players — a group he is rapidly joining.
There will inevitably be times when his faculties desert him, when the inconsistency and inexperience of youth overwhelms his talent for a period. That is the life of an emerging player in football. But right now, he absolutely looks the part. Everything just looks so easy for him.
As if to underline this, Iwobi made his competitive debut for Nigeria on Sunday and scored in a 2-1 win over Zambia in World Cup qualifying. He may not be Edgar Davids, but Iwobi is establishing his own name in football with impressive speed.
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