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Leon Goretzka vs Ozil stats comparison – will he be a good replacement for the Barca bound midfielder?

Mesut Ozil

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil vs FC Schalke’s Leon Goretzka – A Statistical Comparison

Arsenal are currently hunting for a player who can be a worthy replacement for German playmaker, Mesut Ozil who will be on his way out of the Emirates stadium summer.

As far as Alexis Sanchez is concerned, there are not many players that will be capable of one-upping what the Chilean brought to the club. Ozil however, remains a completely different story.

Talking about Ozil, he is a player who makes a lot of difference to the Gunners through his assists and goals. There are very few players who possess the skills and qualities as the German star. The former Madrid man has the vision, ball control, movement, passing range and can play anywhere in the attack.

Ozil has been highly criticised this season by the fans as well as former club legends and pundits. However, since the 5-2 victory over Everton, he has been excellent and recently bagged the Man of the match award for his performance in the 2-0 victory over London rivals Spurs.

One talented player many regard as the proper replacement for Ozil at Arsenal is Leon Goretzka. Goretzka, just like Ozil, is a German player, with enviable qualities such as his versatility and strength. The budding German international has already attracted a lot of interest from top clubs for his goal-making and scoring prowess.

Leon Goretzka

Let us have a detailed statistical comparison between the two German stars and see if Goretzka can replace Ozil at Arsenal.

Despite coming in for criticism prior to his impressive display at Everton, Ozil has made his BEST start to a Premier League season. In terms of chances created in the 10 games he has played so far in the league, Ozil has created 34 chances. In comparison, Goretzka has played 9 times in the Bundesliga, creating only measly 6 chances.

Goretzka has a 76% pass completion rate compared to Ozil’s 85%. The Arsenal star has 3 assists, while the Schalke midfielder is yet to open his account. Ozil, being a creative hub for the Gunners, has made 31 key passes. Though young, Goretzka has only contributed to the team with 6 key passes, although he has scored 4 goals in contrast to his German compatriot’s 1.

The Schalke player is an aggressive, all-round midfielder, averaging 61.54% aerial duels won. Ozil however, lacks physicality and has only managed 14.29% aerial duels won. Goretzka has won 14 tackles in all, while Ozil, not renowned for tackling, has won just 8.

The mini-stats show that Goretzka is nowhere near to Ozil’s qualities. What Arsenal would be losing in Ozil is his dazzling creativity and pin-point passing; in return, they will get an industrious midfielder in Goretzka, capable of playing 90 minutes every single match and covering every square centimetre of the pitch.

Goretzka is just 22 years old and with his strength and work-rate, he can change the very mentality of a team. He is a promising player, already making quite a resume with German national team.

If the Arsenal move happens, Gortezka will certainly take the Gunners to the heights that they are supposed to be at.

Courtesy: Squawka