Published: 24 October, 2013
by STEVE BARNETT

JUST how good is Mesut Özil?

Well, according to midfield team-mate Santi Cazorla, he’s right up there with some of the greats of the game.

In fact the Spaniard believes Özil has the quality to “mark an era” in the same way that Zinedine Zidane or Ronaldinho did before him.

The pair shared the field for more than half an hour on Tuesday after Cazorla came off the bench against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League to continue his comeback from injury.

Despite showing great synchronisation and understanding, the pair couldn’t prevent the Gunners from slipping to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against last season’s beaten finalists.

But despite the set-back Cazorla is adamant that he will quickly form a good relationship with the German playmaker and go on to make a mark in the Arsenal history books.

“We have got to know each other and I have to say that it is very easy to have a good understanding with a great player like him, since our playing philosophy is very similar,” Cazorla told Arsenal Player.

“As the days go by we have a better association on the pitch. Personally I am very happy to have Mesut as a team-mate. He is a great signing and everyone enjoys the way he plays.

“Mesut is a player of a different kind. He is a joy to watch and has a lot of talent. Like Zidane or Ronaldinho, he can be one of those players who marks an era.

“He is not the kind of player you are used to watching and he can win many games on his own.

“That’s why he is a top player.”