Not a week goes by without the World of football being rife with transfer speculation
The papers, Internet and fans seems eternally obsessed with where Cristiano Ronaldo will be next season, which big club has made a farcical bid for Lionel Messi and how many hundreds of millions Manchester City will spend in the next transfer window
With this in mind, it would seem to be ideal for any manager to tie their players down to the longest deal they can
This is exactly the opposite of what Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has done.
Whilst talking to Sky Sports, Wenger has said: “We have not started to talk about that with Mesut Ozil, [Sanchez] is the same situation - at the end of the year they have two-and-a-half years' contract
We have some time
We are not in a hurry”
This is despite apparent interest from Manchester United while the two forwards will inevitably have a number of admirers willing to stump up a huge fee to take either or both of the Premier LeagueÂ’s most sought after talent
While the prospect of losing either of Sanchez or Özil is unlikely as of yet and inconceivable to any Arsenal fan, the question of where Arsenal would be without either of their superstars is an incredibly interesting one
Mesut Özil moved to Arsenal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a reported fee of £42.5 million
After his arrival and initial good form he was forced to endure some poor performances and criticism as he struggled to justify the huge price tag and reputation he brought with him
Assists and goals came freely for Özil in 2013 for Arsenal before he began to struggle for form in the early part of 2014
He was criticised most notably for his performance in ArsenalÂ’s 5-1 defeat against Liverpool and for his poor penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League which was saved by Manuel Neuer
Özil’s record in the 2015/16 Premier League season is superb
He currently has 11 assists in 12 games with one goal for Arsenal in the Premier League
Özil’s impact on games has been questioned in the past with critics citing his lack of influence on games
However his impact this season cannot be underestimated
He assisted Kieran GibbsÂ’ equaliser against Tottenham while he has picked up two assists in a single game against Swansea and Watford which both ended in 3-0 wins
Away from Arsenal, Özil has picked up seven assists in six games since Germany’s 2-0 win over Georgia
Özil has become a literal pass master since his ascension into the lime light from the 2010 World Cup
His time with Real Madrid has only served to improve him technically while playing in front of the Real fans will only have helped to toughen him mentally
His record transfer to Arsenal hasnÂ’t been seamless though
In the entirety of 2013/14 season he picked up nine assists in comparison to his 11 in 12 games this season, however he did contribute five goals to ArsenalÂ’s campaign
Özil’s form once again dipped in the following season only picking up five assists and four goals in the campaign
It is fair to say that Özil has blown hot and cold in his first few years at Arsenal
However this season appears to be different
A new life has seemed to reignite ArsenalÂ’s title challenge as they now sit in second on 26 points, level with leaders Manchester City
In seasons gone by Arsenal would already have been out of the title race, languishing behind the leaders and thinking about what might have been after so much pre-season expectation from both fan and player alike
It is evident then that Özil has been a catalyst for their early season good form contributing in a direct way to 11 goals, half of Arsenal’s goal tally in the Premier League this season
However it is not just the German maestro that has had an effect on enthusing both fan and teammate alike
ChileÂ’s Alexis Sanchez has been one of the most exciting and promising acquisitions by any team in Premier League history
The £35 million paid for him seems like a superb piece of business by the Arsenal hierarchy with Sanchez, at times, single headedly dragging Arsenal through games
He currently has six goals in the 2015/16 season to go with what was a superb debut season in which he recorded 16 goals and eight assists
Sanchez seems to possess that ability that all great forwards have, the ability to score not just the tap-ins but also pressure shots, long range efforts, free-kicks and penalties
While Sanchez still has a long way to go to be put in the same bracket as another Arsenal legend, it is interesting to note that a certain Thierry Henry started life as a winger before he was converted into a striker under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger
Is it so ridiculous to believe Sanchez can walk the same path?Two goals in ArsenalÂ’s impressive 3-0 dismantling of Manchester United and three goals against Leicester City meant the season has begun in the same impressive manner as the last
However, a lack of goals and assists in ArsenalÂ’s last three Premier League games has slightly stunted his excellent form, however this has not been terminal for Arsenal who have won two and drawn one of their last three
Of course no one doubts that Sanchez will hit form again and soon, however this perhaps shows ArsenalÂ’s new steely resolve in that when their best player is unable to contribute they are still winning games through other sources, which is a huge contrast to seasons gone by.
Interestingly however, if all goals and assists from Sanchez and Özil were taken away from Arsenal, then it becomes evident that all other players have only contributed 12 assists out of 23 with Özil assisting 11 times while the team together has scored 15 times out of 22, with Sanchez scoring six and Özil once
The goal and assist stats alone tell the story of how much Arsenal need these two players, however it does also convey that Arsenal are not completely dependent on them
Although they may be ever so slightly over dependent on them, it can also be claimed that Manchester City are the same with Sergio Aguero and David Silva while Chelsea are the same with Eden Hazard
It is clear then that it is highly unusual for a team to not miss a player if they are unable to play.So where will Arsenal go from here? Every Arsenal fan would say that this is their year for the title and they will be there or there about by the end of the season and itÂ’s hard to disagree with this
Bolstered by the superb transfer of Petr Cech and the emergence of Francis Coquelin in conjunction with their new defensive stability and, barring any injuries, they will surely be in the mix to lift the trophy they have so coveted for years
If the Gunners failed to win then it would possibly be down to one reason
In every single area of the pitch Arsenal have competition for places and World class talent
This fact may only be untrue with regard to their strikers
While Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are both talented players in their own way, the likes of Manchester CityÂ’s Sergio Aguero, Paris Saint-GermainÂ’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and BarcelonaÂ’s Luis Suarez, all out and out strikers, are in a different league to Giroud and Walcott
This was the only area that Wenger seemed to overlook
While only time will tell if not bringing another striker in will cost them the title, it must surely be an area that Wenger will look to strengthen in the summer
That is now the only difference between Arsenal and the very top teams
Arsenal have World class player in abundance all across the park but they are separated from the best in the World by their lack of a potent and prolific striker.
So can Arsenal win the Premier League? Of course they can
But would it be more beneficial for them in the long run not to win it this season? If they were to fail in their title challenge this year it would surely prompt Arsenal to bring in a big money signing with the likes of PSGÂ’s Edinson Cavani constantly linked with a move away from his club
However it could of course work inversely with a title win attracting players to the champions of England.
Whatever happens over the course of the season, two things are evident
First is that Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez must be tied down to long contracts which keep two of the World’s best players in London
The second is that Arsenal need reinforcements up front
Their chances of challenging domestically and abroad will be enhanced exponentially with a proven goal scorer and maybe then they will be regarded as consistent contenders for the Premier League title.
Source : DSG
Source: DSG