Arsenal’s Mesut Özil awarded PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for April

**© REUTERS**Arsenal's Mesut Ozil runs for the ball during their Champions League playoff soccer match against Besiktas at the Emirates stadium in London August 27, 2014. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez (BRITAIN – Tags: SPORT SOCCER)

Arsenal and Germany superstar Mesut Özil collected the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award on Friday for the month of April. Perhaps the German’s preeminent Premier League moment of the month was a glorious free kick goal during Arsenal’s 4-1 demolition of Liverpool on April 4th.

Özil also performed extremely well during his team’s FA Cup match against Reading last month. The 26-year-old recorded both assists in the 2-1 victory, and also broke the record of most chances created in an FA Cup match this season with nine (breaking his previous record of eight in the process, which Özil posted against Middlesbrough in February).

While the Gunners’ star is frequently labeled a “flop”, or attacked for his “laziness”, statistics prove otherwise. Although Özil has missed 15 Premier League matches so far this season (13 due to a knee injury), the German has put together better key stats per game than the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling, and even PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard.

Özil	Hazard	Coutinho	Sterling
Key Passes	2.41	2.38	1.42	1.88
Assists	.29	.24	.13	.22
Chances Created	2.71	2.62	1.55	2.09
Pass Comp. %	88%	87%	81%	80%

*Statistics are per Premier League match. Information provided by Squawka.com

As mentioned before, Özil’s perceived lack of work rate has also come under scrutiny. Caughtoffside.com recently published an article showing that the world-class midfielder has covered the sixth most distance out of the entire Arsenal team (10,048m). FIFA records also claimed last summer that the German’s sprint speed, 32 k/ph, is quicker than Bayern Munich winger, Arjen “The Flying Dutchman” Robben (31.6 k/ph).

Arsenal also have performed better as a team with Özil in their squad. The Gunners have lost only two league matches this season (out of 18 games) in which the 26-year-old was named in the team, while the north London club has recorded four defeats in just 15 matches without the World Cup winner.

With statistics there to debunk baseless claims about the German’s play, Arsenal fans are more than thrilled to have Özil cemented in their side. The German’s quality in the midfield rivals any other player in his position, not only in Europe, but around the globe. As the saying goes: numbers never lie.