OZIL NEEDS TO IMPROVE HIS WORK RATE IF HE IS TO REMAIN A KEY FIGURE AT EMIRATES STADIUM: MARTIN KEOWN

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The German international Mesut Ozil, who is currently playing for the Premier League giant Arsenal since 2013 needs to improve his work rate if he is to remain a key figure at Emirates Stadium according to the ex Arsenal defender.

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The former England international and former Arsenal star defender Martin Keown has recently questioned the German's contribution to Arsenal in recent months and called on the World Cup winner to improve his work rate if he is to remain a key figure at Emirates Stadium.

The German international Mesut Ozil, who has already made 104 appearances with scoring 20 goals for the English giant since 2013 is struggling to find his best form this season and the Gunner’s boss Arsene Wenger recently acknowledged that he expects more from Ozil.

And the former Arsenal defender Keown believes the 28-year-old German playmaker is a sort of icing-on-the-cake type player, who has exceptional creative prowess, but has urged the attacking midfielder to contribute more off the ball.

As the 50-year-old Martin Keown was quoted as saying by Standard Sport ahead of Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich, “He is a sort of icing-on-the-cake type player,"

"Arsenal need more from him, particularly from a defensive point of view. You could say he is in there for his creativity, but the likes of [Dennis] Bergkamp, [Thierry] Henry, [Robert] Pires, they all offered creativity, but they offered just as much work rate.”

"A modern-day player has to be equipped to do both and I do not know whether Arsenal get enough from Ozil when they do not have the ball.”

 

"Maybe I am being unfair, it can be difficult to recover back, but you see other players doing that.

"His body language is an issue and he has suffered lately, particularly in the big games."