Arsene Wenger says Arsenal’s relentless energy, their willingness to take risks, their desire and Mesut Ozil’s set piece expertise were key factors in their last-gasp win over league leaders Leicester City.
Theo Walcott’s close range finish cancelled out Jamie Vardy’s first half penalty before Danny Welbeck’s stoppage time glancing header ensured the Gunners took all three points from a pulsating game at the Emirates.Reflecting on a huge result, Arsene Wenger paid homage to the mentality of his players
Reflecting on a huge result, Arsene Wenger paid homage to the mentality of his players.
“It was happiness, because I think it was a very high level of energy in the game. We put the intensity in from the first to the last minute.
“It was as well a mental test for us, because to find yourself down 1-0 at half-time to a team who defends so well, you need to keep going in your head. And we came back in the second half with relentless energy. And we took as well all the risks to win it.
“We knew a draw was not good enough. In the end it paid off, down to the mental desire of the team to give absolutely everything to win it.”
Having squandered a number of chances it looked as though Arsenal might have to settle for a point before Mesut Ozil’s teasing free-kick – taken after the four allotted minutes of added time were up – found Welbeck’s head.
Asked how he felt as the game dripped into the final seconds with Leicester potentially maintaining their lead at the top, Wenger reflected:
“For a while, I thought eight points would be too much. We came back to five, I thought ok, it will not be completely over. It did smell [of a] goal, in the last five or six minutes.
“Every time we had the ball, I didn’t have too much time to think, because I thought something could happen there. And they just managed always to get the ball out. And when we had the free-kick on that side, and I saw Mesut taking it, I thought we had a chance there. Because his balls are top quality, and we had tall players in the centre then, Welbeck, Chambers, Mertesacker and Giroud. So I hoped it could happen.
The boss also had warm words for Danny Welbeck; a late inclusion in his squad. On why he decided to include the England international on the bench, having suggested the striker wouldn’t be available until next weekend’s FA Cup game with Hull City, he revealed:
“In the last two days he was convincing in training. I planned at the start, when I made my press conference on Friday morning, to play him next week. But in the last two training sessins he was very strong and I decided just in the end to include him in the squad.
He continued: “It was a great decision because Danny Welbeck is a great player, and you never know in our job if somebody else had come on would he have scored or not. But everybody is extremely happy for him, because he has been out for 10 months, that is an eternity for a player.
“We work very hard, our medical team, our fitness team, to bring him back so strong. Let’s not forget he has not played one minute for us, he has just played 45 minutes in the under-21s.”
Every football-fan loves Özils balls.
every footballer loves özils balls except owen and his likes
Jury’s still out, needs to run around a bit, Sterling is better
Clearly, Arsene recently watched Glengarry Glen Ross.
Everyone loves Ozil’s ball and Francis Coq
Ozil, before he takes that freekick, stands over the ball, recites Bismillahirahmanirrahim, and sends in a peach of a cross aimed directly on the forehead of Danny Welbeck.
Ozil gives zero fuchs (fox in german) about Leicester.
also the name of their left back today
Owen is that you?
oh look at that hehe i’m stupid and clearly wasn’t in on that one i’ll see myself out
Especially on this article’s comments section where everyone talking about balls, man this one really hurts
time 2 change my commenting name eh
There’s only one Oz!!!
About time someone latches onto his balls.
welbeck gave a good head(er) to ozil’s ball
OVER THE MOON! Couldnt watch the game as I was travelling and that last second goal made my day,/week COYG
Just want to say – big game, champions mentality, great substitutions… but you wont hear any of that. Had we lost, bottlers for sure would have come up. you cant have it both ways man. And foff piers morgan.
Piers Morgan makes Donald Trump look like Leonardo da Vinci.
Brilliant win. What an ending !
We more often than not have to face deeply seated and entrenched opposition.
Which is why Wenger first brought in Santi and now Ozil. He needs these magicians to unlock the door.
We will benefit even more with Santi back in the squad soon.
But what a panic buy Ozil has proven to be at 42.3m quid.:D
Honestly I haven’t seen his balls.
But if Wenger says they’re great who a I to argue.
COYG!
I sure do love Ozil’s balls
Something something “Coq” something something “Ozil’s balls”.
A strong hard Coq and Ozils silky balls
Balls made of steel.
What a delivery under pressure!
What a weapon to have
Ozil’s left is a surgical scalpel.
We also have a top quality Coq
The shape of his balls, the weight of his balls, the way they move through the air… Perfection.
Ozists
I think its goods for Theo to have his mate back. Three awesome english lads up front for us today
Timely to bring our Coq out on Valentine’s day
Fair play to Chambers. Thought he acquitted himself very well. He didn’t put a foot wrong. There was one point where Vardy, I think, was closing him down, chasing the ball back, could have gone back to Cech but it was risky so he tapped it out for a throw. Whoever was giving him stick for it, he just shrugged in a ‘so fucking what’ kind of way. Cool as ice. COYG
I know, as if he is Cazorla or something? He did the sensible thing especially as he’s not terribly quick.
I think the more simple minded of fans see him booting out instead of tapping it out as a sign of powerful-sensible-no-nonsense-english-defending. Choosing to ignore the fact that it more or less goes over the throw-in line in the same area, and the ball is easier to retrieve, meaning less time lost.
Good call in my books.
With Ozil’s balls & Coquelin’s coq we’re gonna torture our opponents!
Haha Schmeichel you time waisting prick
In all honesty, it was a great game. Quality, verve and strategy. I rarely watch anything other than the Arse but I have to say, I understand why Leicester are in front. Going a man down, they did as most teams would do, played to not lose. I am so glad our boys showed a killer instinct and went for the win. Onwards and upwards … COYGs!!!
Henry v Utd, Henry v Leeds, Arshavin v Barca, Welbeck v Leicester….The best Emirates moments.
All of the Leicester players were wasting time and almost got away with it. serves the bastards right!
And commentators being all “there’s no rule you have to sprint off the pitch! He’s entitled to take his time!”
Schmeichel was taking more than 30 seconds to take goal kicks, haha joke was on him at the end!
Just 2 hours before kickoff I played Fly Me To The Moon by guitar. Perhaps Ozil was hearing the song and help me fly to the moon.
I’m just a little sorry that Giroud didn’t put one of his chances past Schmeichel’s smug mug; or perhaps better yet, into it
Also some payback for Vardy getting in his face after scoring the penalty would’ve been good
I’ve watched the replay about 20 times and I love how that guy who absolutely clattered Monreal has no clue he’s about to regret that.
yeah,tall players are of so much importance in such circumstances
I dare say Ozil’s balls of a quality comparable to one Sir Dennis. A man whose glorious balls inspired a generation