Gunners...
Mesut Ozil's first goal for Arsenal inspired his side to
an impressive 2-0 win over Napoli that maintained
their 100 percent start in the Champions League on
Tuesday.
Ozil, signed for a club record £42.5 million from Real
Madrid on transfer deadline day, had promised to
add more goals to his undoubted creative talent and
the German midfielder was as good as his word with
a superb strike to break his Arsenal duck early in the
first half at the Emirates Stadium.
He turned provider soon after, setting up French
striker Olivier Giroud for his sixth goal of the season
to effectively kill off Napoli with just 15 minutes
gone.
Arsene Wenger's side have now taken six points from
their first two Group F fixtures, while also surging to
the top of the Premier League with five successive
wins.
It is a remarkable transformation since a shock
opening day defeat against Aston Villa prompted a
furious reaction from the Emirates faithful.
Wenger had no reason to fear the boo-boys on
another encouraging night for his emerging team
and he was even able to leave England midfielder
Jack Wilshere on the bench for the first 60 minutes.
Arsenal's early-season form has prompted
suggestions that a title challenge could be brewing in
north London.
But Wenger might well be willing to sacrifice
domestic success if he could guarantee winning the
Champions League after this week describing his
quest to land the one major trophy missing from his
collection as an obsession.
While it is too early for any bold predictions of
Arsenal glory in Europe, on this evidence the
Gunners boss can at least expect a better showing in
the competition than in recent years.
Wenger's side are flying at present and their sky-
high confidence was clear to see as they took the
lead with a fabulous opening goal in the eighth
minute.
Robert Pires has been working with Wenger's players
on the training ground this week, but even the
legendary Arsenal 'Invincibles' team that featured
the French winger would have been hard pressed to
better a move of such exquisite style.
When Bacary Sagna clipped a high pass towards
Giroud, the rapidly improving forward showed great
strength and agility to flick the ball into Aaron
Ramsey's path.
Ramsey has been in the form of his life in recent
weeks and the Wales midfielder demonstrated his
eye for a killer pass as he picked out Ozil, who
displayed immaculate technique with a fine side-
footed strike past Jose Reina from just inside the
penalty area.
Napoli had defeated last season's Champions League
runners-up Borussia Dortmund in their Group F
opener and arrived at the Emirates unbeaten in Serie
A under former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Rafael
Benitez.
But they were no match for Arsenal in this mood and
the hosts, stronger in the tackle and far more vibrant
on the ball, doubled their lead in clinical fashion after
some sloppy defending from the Italians in the 15th
minute.
A poor clearance was intercepted by the alert
Ramsey on the right flank and suddenly Napoli were
exposed as Giroud fed Ozil, who raced into the area
before slipping a low pass for Giroud to fire home
from close-range.
Miguel Britos headed narrowly past the far post as
Napoli mounted their first serious threat to Wojciech
Szczesny's goal.
But with the ponderous Goran Pandev leading the
attack in place of the injured Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli
lacked a cutting edge and Ozil and Ramsey, linking
superbly in midfield, combined to keep them from
establishing any momentum.
There was never any sense of Arsenal losing their
lead in an anti-climatic second half and it was the
hosts who went closest to scoring when Laurent
Koscielny's effort was well saved by Reina.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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