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Arsene Wenger delighted Mesut Ozil 'took gamble' with Arsenal volley goal

Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsene Wenger hailed Mesut Ozil’s risk-taking spirit as he struck a spectacular volley to earn Arsenal a 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates.

In yet another game where Arsenal spurned a number of goalscoring chances, it took the intervention of Ozil to secure victory with a powerful left-footed winner midway into the first half.

Ozil’s finish, his second goal of the season, was in marked contrast to the profligacy of his team-mates, who converted a combined 21 shots into just three efforts on target, giving Newcastle hope of a point in the dying minutes.

But Wenger’s side were able to hold on for a first win in four Premier League games, leaving the manager to toast his German playmaker.

"It’s superb," Wenger said of Ozil’s goal. "It’s important for him that he takes the risk to do what he did.

"Usually he’s a guy who 99 per cent of the time in these positions controls the ball and gives it to somebody else.

"I’m happy he took the gamble to finish and happy as well that he scored a very important goal."

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez was similarly enamoured with Ozil’s strike, saying: "Sometimes these goals go to the stands but then these players of quality can score these goals!"

Asked by Standard Sport whether Arsenal needed Ozil to take on a greater goalscoring burden amid their current cold streak in front of goal, Wenger added: "You would think that today you are always very quickly under pressure when you are a football player and you do not score for one or two games.

"You look historically and that happens every year, it’s a bit cyclical.

"Sometimes you score three or four with one chance and days like today we had six or seven chances and scored only one."

Wenger continued to dodge questions over Ozil’s future as he approaches the final six months of his deal, saying: "I am confident. What does that mean? I don’t know."