Mesut Ozil, the 31-year old German international hasn't featured in a single competitive game for Arsenal since March 2020. Ozil has played 254 matches for the gunners, scoring 44 goals and assisting 65 times. However, the former WC winner is finding it difficult to break into the Arsenal squad under Mikel Arteta.
It is well known that Arteta prefers to play a 3 man defensive system, with proper use of two wing-backs on both sides of the field.
Arteta’s Arsenal focuses on attack and offensive bursts via the left flank. The player who plays in left centre back for gunners is often a traditional left back in order to help the team in attacking transitions and vertical progressions through the left side. As a result, the right wing back position wasn’t being tested properly both defensively and in the offensive front. Moreover, the pace and sprinting capability of a player like Hector Bellerin was being underused in the right side of the field. To make up for that, Arteta plays Mohamed Elneny who perfectly fits into that right back role during the offensive phase, thereby giving Bellerin the leverage to cut inside and make inside runs. The same work is done by Granit Xhaka whenever Dani Ceballos plays.
Arsenal under Arteta usually play a 5-2-3 starting formation. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spearheads the front three along with Willian and Nicolas Pepe. Willian and Pepe are traditional wingers and provide pace and attacking threat down the flanks. When Alexandre Lacazette is played, Aubameyang moves on to the left as an inside forward, allowing Lacazette to drop deep, almost as a false nine forward.
Therefore, it can be comprehended that every single role in the Arsenal team is fixed and requires astute defensive work rate when necessary. Transition from defence to offence and vice-versa is fast and time spent on the ball by an individual player is minimal. Even against weaker opponents, the attack is mainly through changing flanks and wingbacks moving inside pockets of spaces. Hence, it is safe to say that there is no place for a fancy number ten like Mesut Ozil in the Arsenal squad.