After today’s very enjoyable 2-0 win over Sp*rs, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi, spoke to Sky Sports after the game.
Here’s what they had to say.
Have you been involved in a better Arsenal performance than that?
Mustafi: I think so, I think we had some good performances. The only important thing is to keep it up. We did well today, it’s a derby so it’s always a special game.
We showed character, we were always there in the important moments, when you do all that you win games.
Mesut, fantastic today. Your energy and drive, you seemed to find a new level. What inspired that?
Really, on the pitch I just think about the team, not myself, just to give everything on the pitch. So today our aim was to do everything, we believe in ourselves and at the end of the day we won the game so we’re really happy.
How exciting is it to play in that trio with Sanchez and Lacazette, there’s so much talent?
I really enjoy it, I talked to you guys in the past so we have good quality. And Lacazette and Alexis are always dangerous, they can always score, today Alexis especially showed his quality and I’m really happy for him to score against Tottenham.
Shkodran, Mesut hung it up there, you got your head on, was there a second there where you didn’t know if it was going in or out?
The thing is, as I was going up, he was on the other side of the pitch and I said ‘Mes, please go to the ball and bring it in’, because I know his left foot and I know his deliveries.
If you have players who can put the ball in like that, you go in with belief and that’s the most important thing when you go up for corners and free kicks – when you believe you can have an opportunity to score. With the team we have, with the quality we have, you go in and try and get your head on the ball.
It looked offside.
I was only happy that they didn’t blow the whistle because it happened before to me against Chelsea, this time I’m lucky to get away with it. That’s football, you always get things against us, things for us, and at the end of the year it’s always a draw – you get good things and bad things …
… especially after Man City …
That’s what I’m talking about. You have to count for the whole season and at the end of the year everyone gets something, in the end it’s fair.
Mesut, are wins against Tottenham the sweetest?
Of course. We are happy, the fans are happy, you see our defensive is more stable.
[Laughter between himself and Mustafi]
Lol. Who knew, playing the best team gets great results. Super happy about this power shift talk that is going on.
Who knew a higher tempo system where you don’t focus on controlling possession 100% of the time gets results?!
Ozil rightly MOM
Mustafi just behind him.
Thought we restricted them to the same ball clipped over the top and Mustafi continually came out and intercepted.
Played some fantastic one touch football.
Bring on the weekend COYG
One of Ozil’s best performances in recent memory. Maybe Mustafi’s best game for us? Threw his body at everything, fought well in the air, and scored a beauty of a header. I don’t know what happened over the summer when he nearly left, but sure am glad he’s chosen to stay. (Anyone know the story?)
I don’t know, for me it’s ozil’s usual game. He had bad games yes, this is one of his better one, but not one that is stand out. He usually makes chances/assists, he usually sometimes tackles, he usually tracks back. Maybe it’s because we won people are giving him credits.
Loool shut the fuck up he was class
Not saying he wasn’t, am saying, he is always class. Well most of the time anyway.
Apparently his wife wanted to move closer to her family (she’s Swiss I think) as she has a new baby.
Nah. He was his usual self on the ball, but off the ball he did the ugly stuff that he doesn’t normally do. You need that when you’re against a team that can keep the ball. It added a much needed dimension to his game, makes it all the more frustrating when he doesn’t do it in the big games! MotM performance but should be doing that more often!
Shift in power balance my arse…dream on spuds
I’ll admit I wanted BFG ahead of Mustafi but I was wrong my friends so very wrong.
Signing a new contract would be the sweetest too, Mesut.
Amen brother!
Now would be the time, heheheh.
Well, I for one I am is still purring like a cat, and c’mon guys, nothing wrong in saying it, when you do that to spuds…outplay them comprehensively, especially given the power shift nonsense thats been doing the rounds this season….it has to be the sweetest!
Amazing game by Mustafi, especially with the fact that he hadn’t played a competitive game in weeks.
I enjoyed the game, feels good to be a Gunner. However I miss having a pass master like Santi to control the midfield
Best allround Mesut performance in an Arsenal shirt. Really happy for Mustafi as well. Great way to start the day.
We’ve had better performances than this, it’s just the desire and work rate that was impressive.
Don’t see why Spuds are crying about the goal. It was very close…just like Lacazette against stoke was.
Never thought we’d dominate spurs like this…well done to the team. Could’ve scored 2-3 more.
Agreed it was very close. Mustafi and Vertonghen looked level. I don’t believe that even VAR could be definitive for that.
A perfect present for my birthday today, Wow. When Arsenal pass the ball like that it is always a win. Great team performance.
“Not only Tottenham struggle away from home – we need many things, we to build the stadium, we need to build the squad.”
Funny to see Poch use the stadium ‘excuse’ as certain wanker fans and pundits call it
fantastic display today,and not wanting to be negative,but,where was this spirit and energy at liverpool/man city and more?……………….however,it`s all about today,and how sweet it is to beat s666s…………..they remain,a small club from middlesex
COYG
I actually thought the effort level against city was there, tactically we were a little off, and truth is they are just a class above us right now. Can’t see how we make that up by losing our two best players…
Fair play,but if they want to go, we need to replace them, not easy I agree,but I’d rather they go with some money in the bank to replace them in January,as long as we actually replace them, anything else is just spin,and we’re sick of that kind of thing. COYG
Gotta love it when we’re all totally pumped and the players play it down. “Yeah, we’ve had better performances…” etc. ?
Koscielny and Mustafi and Monreal are our main defensive selection along with Bellerin and Kolasinac.
BUT we also defended from top with Ozil, Alexis and Lacazette chasing in sync.
Ramsey was also excellent today. Granit I was worried was at risk of a send off but he was very controlled in second half thankfully.
Excellent palm by Cech.
“Laughter between himself and Mustafi”
Reading that gave me a big dumb smile
You associate a Pochettino side this early in the season with tremendous energy levels and going to the last minute. And yet they were fucking exhausted after 75 minutes and we were slightly sharper throughout.
I think them getting tired and fizzling out made it so much better. And it was already brilliant before that.
We have become so inferior that what used to be a routine beat up of Spurs, looks like a big achievement these days. Winning NLD is sweet, but you know what I mean.
Much as I hate Sp*rs there are far better then they used to be, it’s a win over a very good team and NLD is icing on the cake.