To be fair, if Özil is a lazy non committed guy, he's not going to come out and admit it, is he. He's playing the PR game. Arteta has seen him in training more than either of us, he's in the best position to pass judgement on Özil, and has.
I can't prove it but my theory fits the situation better than any other, requires the least logical leaps and doesn't involve any conspiracy theories.
Arteta has said the decision to not play Özil was his responsibility.
Arteta set out his non-negotiables in terms of the effort, commitment and attitude he expects from his players on day 1.
Özil has been banished from the squad, even though he's still a talented footballer.
There are 2 players Arteta has really tried to push out. Guendouzi and Özil. Both of those players are gifted enough as footballers to be in the 25 man squad, no doubt. It's clearly not an ability issue here. We know Guendouzi's attitude was a problem.
It seems pretty obvious to me that Arteta has pinpointed the players he views as problems in the squad in terms of his 'Non-negotiables' and is making a statement to the rest of the squad by banishing these two guys. He's not long in the job and it's his first managerial position, he's laying down a marker to the squad about what he expects from them going forward, as far as I can see.
I understand that some people will never entertain under any circumstances the idea that it's Özil's effort /commitment / attitude that is the issue. That's fine, it doesn't stop it being the most logical conclusion to draw though.
Last edited: Oct 22, 2020