OZIL’S WINTER GAMES
Desperate for a Champions League spot, Wenger’s ready to turn up heat by playing main-man Mesut
ARSENE WENGER will bring out his biggest gun – Mesut Ozil – tonight, after admitting the pressure has increased on Arsenal to win the Europa League.
The Gunners suffered another huge blow to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via their league position, after the north London derby defeat to Tottenham left them eight points off the top four.
Triumphing in the Europa League and sneaking into Europe’s top competition through the backdoor now looks like their best hope.
And the tournament’s growing importance is reflected in the strong squad
Wenger (right) has brought to Sweden, and the team he is poised to pick, which is expected to be the most experienced the Frenchman has fielded in Europe this season.
It will include main-man Ozil, who will be handed his first taste of Europa League action this term, against Swedish minnows Ostersund.
Wenger said: “Yes, he will start. We want
to do well in the competition. When you go into a competition, it is to try to win it, no matter where we are in the league.
“The pressure might be higher maybe, but we try to go as far as we can. We go into direct knockout so, of course, the risk is higher.
“We are ambitious in the competition as well so, yes, we are more experienced than we were before.”
Danny Welbeck will also start up front with Alexandre Lacazette out for six weeks with a knee injury, and £56million January signing Pierre-emerick Aubameyang cup-tied.
Welbeck has failed to claim a regular spot down the middle for Arsenal and has been used more often out wide, but Wenger said: “Up front is where I prefer him personally. He has an opportunity to do well.
“From what I have seen today, he is sharper than for a long time.” Keeper Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere have been left at home, while Aaron Ramsey didn’t travel as he is still being troubled by a groin problem.
Wenger’s men will be relieved the temperatures won’t dip as low as the -23C which was recorded in snow-covered, bitterly-cold Ostersund a couple of weeks ago.
But they will have to get to grips with the Jamtkraft Arena’s artificial 4G pitch, to avoid being on the wrong end of an embarrassing upset.
Wenger added: “We never practise on this kind of pitch, but our technical level should help us adapt quickly – and we will need to.
“I don’t find the temperature that different to London. We have cold wind similar to here, so I don’t think it will be a big problem.”