Arsenal CAN rest Ozil IF Cazorla’s form improves

Arsene Wenger has spoken about rotating his Arsenal players and I am sure he would like to do it today, but it is always a bit of a gamble and a judgment call between risk and reward. To really be able to do it successfully, of course, you need to have full confidence that the players coming in are up to the job.

So at the minute, it is difficult for Wenger to drop the German international Mesut Ozil, even if he has been looking a bit jaded and not as influential as he was a few weeks back. The problem is, who would replace him? That is thought to be one of the Gunners’ strongest positions, with Santi Cazorla, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere able to play in that number 10 role, but none of them are really firing on all cylinders at the minute.

Wilshere and Rosicky have been good at times recently, but also inconsistent, so it is a bit of a risk. Cazorla is the obvious choice, and he did an excellent job there last season, but he has still not got back to his best since returning from injury. Until he does, I suspect that Ozil will start.

So hopefully the little Spaniard will play today and have a good game, which could allow Wenger to rest Ozil for the home game against Hull City on Wednesday. Then the German would be fresh for the difficult visit of Everton next weekend. With a tough fixture list ahead, being able to manage the squad and rotate a little could be the key to staying ahead in the title race. And no more injuryes or illness, PLEASE!!