Paul Sorene
WHAT did the Press say about Arsenal’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich? Well, most focused on Mesut Ozil:
The Germany play-maker, who scored and turned in a fantastic shift for the Gunners against Everton at the weekend, had to come off at half-time during the clash with Bayern. It was initially thought that the substitution was tactical, with Tomas Rosicky coming on, but it later emerged that Ozil has picked up a knock.
No. Not a knock. He was carrying an injury.
BBC:
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is facing “at least a few weeks” out after injuring his hamstring in Tuesday’s Champions League exit at Bayern Munich.
The 25-year-old was withdrawn at half-time in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in Munich, which saw them lose 3-1 on aggregate.
Says Wenger:
“We have to make a scan to see how bad it is but he’s out for a few weeks. We hope it’s not so bad.”
Or as the Telegraph puts it:
Arsenal have suffered a significant blow to their hopes of winning domestic silverware when Mesut Özil was ruled out for at least three weeks with a potentially serious hamstring injury
The Mirror sees disaster:
Mesut Ozil suffered more Champions League misery last night after a devastating injury setback.
So. Ozil was injured.
The final humiliation for Mesut Ozil came at half-time. The German midfielder was substituted, his misery compounded in the Allianz Arena, and we are left wondering where Arsenal’s record £42million signing has gone.
Neil Ashton in the Daily Mail:
At £42.5m Mesut Ozil is the most expensive export in the history of German football. After his performance in Munich you wouldn’t pay two-bob for him.
There should be something special about returning to the country where it all started for the Arsenal midfielder. Behind those eyes something is going on with Ozil because he is simply not right – and not just because of the hamstring problem that will keep him out until April.
Jim White in the Daily Telegraph:
Arsenal had turned up in Germany apparently attempting to field an ineligible player in this Champions League tie. After half an hour, we knew the player’s identity: it was Ozil, making himself entirely ineligible from consideration as a man for the big occasion. The German’s season has traced the trajectory of a rollercoaster. Up, up, up, then down, down, down it has gone. On Tuesday night it reached the point when the car arrives at the end of the ride and all the passengers get out, underwhelmed.
My, he was poor. This was the sort of game he was bought for, to deliver a difference. Yet almost from the moment the Bayern fans rose to their feet to issue a collective chant Ozil was indifference personified. Stationed out on the right of a midfield four, his first contribution gave a clue as to how he would proceed. He deftly brought down a lofted pass, then dribbled unchallenged into touch. And that was his high point.