Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm claims Mesut Ozil sees things nobody else can ahead of the Champions League clash with Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
Lahm believes his international team-mate is Arsenal's most influential playmaker after starting the season in scintillating form.
The World Cup-winning midfielder has provided nine assists for the season – more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues – and Lahm is convinced Ozil's talent is finally being recognised in England after a slow start.
"Mesut is probably the most intelligent player I have ever played with, he is probably the most intelligent player in Europe today," the 31-year-old defender told The Mirror.
"Mesut sees things only he can. His vision is as good as I have ever seen.
"It was laughable when he was being questioned after his move to Arsenal.
"It doesn't matter how good you are, everybody needs time to settle in a new league. Especially a league like England, where you don’t get as much time on the ball, and of course the game is a lot more physical.
"People don’t necessarily understand his game, he isn’t there to run at players or even beat them, he is far more intelligent than that.
"He finds space and creates chances for his team-mates, and you only need to look at the assist table to understand there is nobody better than him at that."
Arsenal surprised doubters to beat the Bundesliga giants 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in October in their Group F clash.
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