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Arsene Wenger paid the Germany playmaker the ultimate compliment by comparing him to the former Arsenal forward but how does he really compare to the Dutch Master?
Mesut Ozil delivered a masterclass against Bournemouth on Monday night that promptedArsene Wenger to compare the Germany playmaker with Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.
In many regards it represents the ultimate compliment, especially considering the Dutch Master’s exploits for the club which have been rewarded with a bronze statue outside the Emirates Stadium.
There is no doubting Ozil’s influence on this current Arsenal side, but the numbers suggest he still has a long way to go to match Bergkamp’s sustained excellence.
In his best ever season, Bergkamp walked away with both footballer of the season awards having inspired Arsenal to their first Premier League title under Wenger. Bergkamp contributed 16 goals and created 13 more, while he also played a starring role in his side’s FA Cup winning campaign.
Ozil, meanwhile, is on course to shatter Thierry Henry’s assists in a season record for a single player but his goalscoring output, despite his brilliantly taken effort against Bournemouth (which means he has now scored or assisted 57 per cent of all Arsenal's goals this season), needs improving if he is to truly sit in the same company as Bergkamp.
Although Bergkamp’s goalscoring prowess declined towards the latter end of his Arsenal career he ended his days at Highbury with 87 Premier League goals in total and Ozil will need to go some if he is to ever come close to rivalling the Dutchman.
Ozil needs just four more assists to tie Henry's assists record, which means, at his current rate, he is set to break the long-standing record against Chelsea on January 24.
HAVE YOUR SAY | Does Ozil's sublime form and unbelievable number of assists this season match, or even better, the exploits of Bergkamp? Or is the Dutch Master still Arsenal's greatest ever No.10? Vote in the poll below and leave a comment...
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