Robbie Savage explains why Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is not world class

Robbie Savage believes that Mesut Ozil cannot be described as a world-class player because of his failure to perform for Arsenal on the biggest stages.

The north London side have struggled to produce consistent form in recent weeks and were left with their European hopes in tatters after a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

Ozil has earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s top attacking players but the midfielder also divides opinion amongst fans.

The World Cup winner has won two FA Cup titles with Arsenal since his transfer to the club from Real Madrid in 2013, however, he has failed to help the Gunners win the Premier League.

And Savage has questioned Ozil’s form for Arsenal by bringing up a number of key statistics involving the former Real Madrid star.

Writing in his column for The Daily Mirror, Savage said: “Statistics can be misleading but they are also instructive.

“This season, Ozil has covered less ground (10.5km per 90 minutes) than at the same stage last year (10.7km) or the year before that (10.8km).

“In terms of distance covered per match, he is only 11th at Arsenal this season.

“Apart from the 3-0 win over Chelsea last September, Ozil has not scored against any of the big guns: Bayern, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Paris St Germain. He is a fantastic player, but something goes missing when the going is toughest.

“Being world-class means the highest application, with or without the ball.”