Ex Arsenal Star Mesut Ozil Names 1 Thing Rudiger Took From Chelsea When He Left for Real Madrid

• Mesut Ozil has linked Chelsea's struggles to Antonio Rudiger's departure
• Rudiger spent five trophy-laden seasons with the Blues before his exit
• He scored his maiden goal of the 2023-24 season on Wednesday, Jan 3

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid playmaker Mesut Ozil has identified a singular characteristic missing at Chelsea following Antonio Rudiger's departure from the club.

Rudiger, a cult hero at Stamford Bridge, departed Chelsea for Real Madrid on a free transfer after a fruitful five-season spell at the West London club, which saw him win multiple titles.

Chelsea's struggles post-Rudiger

Since his exit, Chelsea's defensive prowess has waned, conceding 47 goals and plummeting to a dismal 12th position, missing out on European competitions altogether.

The struggles persist this season as well. Despite significant spending in the transfer market, Mauricio Pochettino's side has failed to match the Premier League's top contenders.

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Rudiger's performance at Real

In contrast, Rudiger has solidified his place at Madrid after initial challenges.

While the previous season yielded no major silverware, he made 53 appearances across competitions and has already amassed 24 caps in the current campaign, according to Transfermarkt.

Recently, he broke his goal drought for the 2023-2024 season, netting the sole goal as Los Blancos narrowly defeated Real Mallorca, retaining their La Liga summit spot, The Athletic reports.

Chelsea's struggles linked to Rudiger's exit

Reflecting on Chelsea after Rudiger's exit, Ozil, the former Real Madrid star, points out that the Blues lack a crucial element that Rudiger brought to the Spanish capital.

Ozil, regarding his compatriot as the world's best defender, believes that strikers like Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Napoli's Victor Osimhen would acknowledge Rudiger's defensive prowess.

"You can ask Haaland or Osimhen how good Rüdiger is. He is just the best defender in the world at the moment," he said, as quoted by Euro Foot.

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"Look what has happened with Chelsea since he left. They are missing his mentality every day."

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Rudiger scores match winner for Real

Sports Brief also reported that Antonio Rudiger snatched Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Real Mallorca to take them provisionally three points clear at the top of La Liga on Wednesday.

The defender headed home from a corner with 12 minutes remaining to settle a tight clash in which Mallorca twice hit the woodwork.