Jamie Carragher compared Kevin de Bruyne and Mesut Ozil’s performances in the first half of Sunday’s clash between Arsenal and Manchester City to highlight why the German continues to be criticised.
The Belgian was the catalyst of a strong display from Pep Guardiola’s side, grabbing two goals and an assist in the opening 45 minutes before Bernd Leno turned his curling effort onto the post to deny him a hat-trick.
Whilst De Bruyne inspired his team’s performance as they look to close the gap between current Premier League leaders Liverpool, Mesut Ozil remained on the periphery, struggling to influence the game as City dominated possession.
It isn’t the first time Ozil has failed to deliver big-game performances for the Gunners, with Carragher using the contrasting performances of the two creative midfielders to underline why Ozil continues to receive heavy criticism.
“People wonder at times why we are ‘too hard’ on Mesut Ozil,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“This is what you want to see, a performance like this [De Bruyne].
“Not every time you play, that is impossible but in big games. Look at the difference Kevin De Bruyne has made here.”
“I’m not just talking about Mesut Ozil in this game but all the years he has been at Arsenal.”
