Mesut Ozil was branded a liability by Steven Gerrard following the Arsenal midfielder’s lacklustre display against Stoke City.
A debut goal from Jese Rodriguez condemned Arsenal to their first defeat of the new Premier League season following a performance which showcased many familiar failings.
Arsene Wenger’s side were unable to make their overwhelming share of possession count for anything tangible, while the goal they conceded was the result of a string of defensive failings.
Granit Xhaka conceded possession in central midfield and, along with Ozil, failed to track Saido Berahino whose through-ball found an unmarked Jese unmarked and the Spain international swept the ball past Petr Cech.
‘We’ve all seen him [Ozil] on his day and he’s a world class talent in possession, althoug he was poor in that respect today,’ Gerrard told BT Sport.
‘I just worry about his body language and his reaction when the ball is turned over. He offers his teammates nothing away from defensively and away from home he’s a liability.
‘Both his and Xhaka’s reaction in the build-up to the goal is weak. Ozil gives up and quits, he doesn’t track the run.’
Arsenal legend Martin Keown agreed with Gerrard’s assessment, adding: ‘Arsenal can’t afford to carry him away from home.
‘It’s not real you can tell he’s going through the motions and he needs to take a long hard look at himself.’
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