Gary Lineker has slammed critics of Mesut Ozil after his man-of-the-match performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win against Tottenham on Saturday.
The Match of the Day host hailed Ozil as a “class act” on his personal Twitter account and questioned the “utter tosh” from those who claim he lacks commitment to the cause “just because he doesn’t charge around like a headless chicken”.
He’s a class act. Just because he doesn’t charge around like a headless chicken he’s seen as lacking commitment. Utter tosh. https://t.co/9LYk531l2H
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 18, 2017
Ozil helped Arsenal control the match against Tottenham as he not only battled hard for his side but also teed up the opening goal for Shkodran Mustafi with a pinpoint free-kick from the left flank.
Alexis Sanchez added the second for the Gunners when he bustled in Alexandre Lacazette’s cross and the home side controlled the second period despite Tottenham dominating possession.
OPINION
Contrary to popular opinion, Ozil’s statistics in terms of distance covered and sprints are actually very impressive. The theory that he lacks commitment emanates from two factors, his running style and his lack of defensive awareness. He certainly sprints forward, but is not too eager to sprint back towards his own goal. Lineker has a reasonable point, but not all Ozil’s critics have it totally wrong. The fact is the playmaker has failed to deliver in far too many marquee matches during his four-and-a-bit seasons at Arsenal.