Arsene Wenger has moved to praise Mesut Ozil’s display against West Ham United, citing his performance as a return to ‘focus’.
The German opened the scoring in our 3-0 defeat of the Hammers last night, before setting Theo Walcott up to double the lead 10 minutes later on the way to victory.
The Arsenal boss has moved to praise his star players return to form following a tough time, with Ozil having been highlighted for criticism amidst our bad run of form lately, and claims he had struggled to come to terms with their Champions League defeat.
“I feel that he is back physically with focus,” Wenger said. “I know him quite well, I felt he was hit quite hard by us going out in the Champions League – it took him some time to recover from that mentally.
“For a few weeks now in training he is really focused again. That comes out in the game.”
The Frenchman then moved to claim that everything in football is exaggerated, the good and the bad, which makes it tough.
“We live in a world of extremes,” Wenger told Standard Sport. “We are always praised more than we deserve it when it goes well and punished more than we deserve it when it doesn’t go well.
“But that’s our world.”
Ozil is still yet to agree a new contract with the club, as he nears the final 12 months of his current deal, and hopefully and upturn in form, confidence and happiness will open his mind to the idea of an extended stay.
Does Ozil remain a key player in your eyes? Does he need to be replaced in an overhaul? Can he carry yesterday’s form into a big end of season push?
Pat J