Arsenal sat atop the premier league table for more weeks than any other team last season. They proved to be steady against mid-low table teams, but the biggest setbacks always came against the title contenders. Arsenal were promptly routed away from home by Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool as their title hopes faded along with the fitness of several key players.
After a busy summer in the transfer market, Arsene Wenger still has time to complete more business. The task at hand right now is a visit to Goodison Park on Saturday which will be a formidable early season test for the Gunners. It's imperative that Wenger gets it right with his struggling team this weekend so as not to show early-season vulnerability.
Mesut Ozil sounds ready to rejoin the side, as do Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker. Similar to last season, Ozil joins the Gunners belatedly, this time the reason being Germany's triumph in Brazil. Arsenal looked sluggish against Crystal Palace and were lucky to survive with three points, then drew 0-0 in Turkey with Besiktas on Tuesday. The Gunners are hardly looking in form as of yet but the addition of the German could be a huge lift for the squad.
Alexis' form will likely improve in time as well as with the return of the Ozil, also allowing Aaron Ramsey to sit a little deeper and conserve his energy. Then again, a stoppage time goal against Palace negated the need to worry about Ramsey's short-term fitness. In the long run however, less ground covered will equate to a longer season for the Welshman.
Ozil will be immediately tasked with penetrating Everton's defensive core of James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Sylvain Distin, and Phil Jagielka. Even without Ross Barkley, Everton are an exceptional team with outstanding defenders. The key for Ozil will be his movement off the ball and whether or not he combines well with Alexis and whoever else will feature up front.
Olivier Giroud will likely get the nod over Yaya Sanogo as the former continues to find consistent form in front of goal. If Giroud could be a little more precise with his finishing, it could mean the difference for Arsenal against Roberto Martinez' men. Santi Cazorla had a much better game on Tuesday, but Gunner fans wouldn't be too disappointed to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain get the nod.
It will also be interesting to see if Calum Chambers makes an appearance at a position other than center back. With Mertesacker back in the squad, Chambers could see time at either defensive midfield or right back. Chambers could negate the need for an extra defensive midfielder, but it remains to be seen if he has the steel to consistently disrupt play with physicality. Arsenal will need to good showing from whoever plays alongside Ramsey.
With all things considered, this could be Ozil's chance to make a splash in the league from the get-go as he did last season. His cutting-edge creative abilities are undoubted, but it's his work rate in league play that needs to improve the most. That, along with his long-term durability in the premier league are what people will be most keen to criticize. With Germany he showed more hunger to chase the ball, and perhaps a taste of gold will elevate Ozil's desire for more trophies.
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