Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as the star duo contributed to the 5-2 win over Everton this afternoon – check out player ratings here.
The German played like a man with a point to prove, and he headed the Gunners into the lead from a Sanchez cross, before providing an assist for Alexandre Lacazette’s first away goal for the club.
The Chilean then added some gloss to the scoreline with an injury time goal, his first Premier League strike of the campaign.
Afterwards, the manager detailed how impressed he was with both, particularly as there had been questions over their commitment.
Speaking about Sanchez, he said, “He was on fire. I believe that he comes back from injury and has worked very hard, Ozil as well.
“The two of them were sharp physically, very mobile and if you have their individual quality, that makes them dangerous against any defender.”
And on the German specifically, he continued, “He was superb. Agile, quick, intelligent.
“Always at the service of the team with his quality of his passing and when he is at that level, he is an exceptional football player.”
Ozil created a season high 8 chances in a single game, and there’s clearly a lot to like about that front three, even if it was against an Everton side who are struggling right now.
Let’s hope we see plenty more of it.
Two great players, winners for the countries and us.
Hope they have a great season (though staying with us is too much to hope for).
why?
bet if we offered them both 20M a year wage contracts ….they would sign on for a couple of years or more.
Angry birds roam the streets of Liverpool.
This is the first time we started with this front three?
I almost felt sorry for Koeman…
I didn’t. He has not been the most charitable towards us in the past, so yeah, I was quite pleased to see him look sad
Lacazette link up play is so underrated. It’s much better than Giroud’s. If Lacazette can make more runs in behind, then this front 3 would be insane. Laca is easily the best finisher we have. Wenger needs to keep playing this front 3 regularly.
I get the feeling Jack’s return might be making Wenger consider going back to a back 4. I still feel we can pull off a 4-3-3 with Xhaka, Jack/Coq and Ramsey as the midfield 3. Today’s performance was really impressive. Need to build on this.
The last two title winners have been from sides who rarely changed their starting 11 and were fresh from not playing European football. I don’t think we’ll win it mainly because of midfield balance and our central defence isn’t great. I actually think we’re only the 5th or 6th best team in the division. But….. I can see City, Spurs and United faring better in Europe this year, I think our freshness against Everton showed from the off today, against a side who used a good few of their players Thursday night. I wonder how many extra points we can… Read more »
There’s plenty of the season still ahead of us and loads of time for injuries to every team.
We do badly and we’re crap
We play well, and it’s “a struggling Everton side”
We cannot win.
I mean they’re in the relegation zone so yeah they’re a bit shite at the moment.
You do realise that this defeat is what put them in the relegation zone, right?
Putting up their prices Arsene?
Just sign them up, Arsene! i still believe we can keep them, especially Mesut. And then strengthen the squad some more in January.
“Everton dismantling?” When the worst Everton team I’ve seen in over 60 years were down to 10 men? LOL! Bid deal!!
5-2 is a dismantling, regardless of how many men they had or how shit they are
How is this different vs 3:0? Is 3:0 also a dismantling? Great that we won, but lets maybe keep our feet on the ground to avoid another watford, stoke, liverpool or hundred of other disappointments coming from our high expectations towards this relatively average football Team that Arsenal is for the last 10 years.
You’re a barrel of laughs round your manor you are…
Conceding 5 at home is a dismantling.
Don’t see anyone getting carried away, but this was a much needed win against a team whose manager who normally does well against us.
The 3-0 stuff is irrelevant… to be honest the 2-1 defeat at Everton last season was (regardless of the score) also a dismantling – just one that Arsenal brought upon themselves and the rest of their season.
If Rambo and Laca had their shooting boots on it would have been 9-2.
Its hard to know what to make of this team at the moment. Should have had a goal or two and then going behind in a way we have seen so many times this season. Some of our forward play was brilliant today, the best I have seen this season. We had to win this game and we need to win our next three too but I dont think I will be able to trust this team until we have played City and Spurs in November. We have had a few false dawns but I am hopeful (always hopeful!) that… Read more »
We were great moving forward and they were carved apart.
In truth we need to be far more clinical and take our chances better. 5 goals from 30 chances not good enough at this level.
BUT defensive lapses continue.
Monreal’s poor back pass, Cech did not cover himself in glory either trying to dribble the ball. Granit is still indispensable to us going forward but his defensive contribution is a liability if he doesn’t work it out of his game soon.
Alexis – Lacazette – Ozil axis looks very lethal if they can sharpen finishing even more.
It’s almost as if the Wenger intentionally held back from playing his record signings together, Laca, Ozil, Alexis. To show that a team without that level of investment only gets you so far. Perhaps wenger is fighting Kroenke and showing by example that you will finish outside CL places if we continue to do minimal transfers. And mismanage player contracts. Whoever takes over from Wenger, whenever that will be the hardest job won’t be on the pitch but fighting Kroenke. If reminds me of when you have a financial controller at work and you always have restrictions on the business… Read more »
Did anyone see Sanchez clapping Wilshere’s pass through on goal? That seemed quite significant to me because he was having kittens when most other players tried (and failed) to put him through. Seemed really happy for his movement to have been read that well. Let’s face it, if you can keep them in form and keep defensively sound a midfield-to-attack of Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Sanchez, and Lacazette would be a fine thing indeed. Wilshere and Ramsey have played together since they were teenagers and you wonder if they might have that organic understanding some players sometimes have. And though only… Read more »
What was the formation we played toward the end of the game with Lacazette and Ozil out?
Please spare us the embarrassment by heaping praise on players who are leaving and most probably to our rivals.
Save it for the player who we’ve just bought, keeps on scoring and you keep taking off.