OZIL ON TARGET AS ARSENAL GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS
Rampant Ozil returns to provide Arsenal with that missing spark
YOU spend £50 million only to discover the solution to your problems is staring you square in the face.
Arsenal will complete the captures of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez well before Wednesday’s transfer deadline, swoops that will, for now, appease supporters aghast at the club’s lack of spending this summer.
But, on his return to the starting line-up, Mesut Ozil, in a spellbinding 45 minutes, proved his worth and won the match for the Gunners.
Arsene Wenger had resisted the temptation to start with his midfield magician who returned to training just a week before the season due to his Euro 2016 exploits with Germany.
But the Arsenal manager finally succumbed at Vicarage Road and the result was the Gunners’ first victory of the season. Coincidence? No chance.
This team ticks when Ozil, who cost the club £42.5m in 2013, is in the side. Arsenal are good without him, but not quite the same.
Wenger said: ‘We need Mesut. what we saw of him today is what we want from him – to give assists, to score goals. I’m happy he has scored because that’s what he has to add.’
Wenger’s opposite number, Walter Mazzarri, handed Younes Kaboul and Christian Kabasele their Premier League debuts.
Debuts to forget, mind you, as Arsenal ran riot in the first half.
It took nine minutes for Ozil to make an impact. He floated an inchperfect pass to Alexis Sanchez who provoked Nordin Amrabat into a reckless challenge that saw him catch the forward with an elbow. Referee Kevin Friend has no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
It was brainless from Amrabat and Santi Cazorla drilled the penalty past Heurelho Gomes.
Watford responded well. Petr Cech spared the blushes of team-mate Laurent Koscielny, who directed Amrabat’s cross towards his own goal in the 25th minute before Troy Deeney stabbed wide moments later.
Odion Ighalo and Etienne Capoue passed up opportunities to shoot before Kabasele headed narrowly wide in the 35th minute.
But they were mere flashes of respite for the Hornets. Arsenal were cruising. And when they shifted through the gears, Wenger’s side were untouchable – particularly Ozil and his Chilean sidekick Sanchez, who pushed German hard for the man-of-the-match award.
Following a mesmeric run through Watford’s defence, Sanchez exchanged passes with Ozil but could not locate a team-mate with the final pass.
Next time, though, Sanchez was not as wasteful. He extended Arsenal’s lead in the 40th minute, tapping home Theo Walcott’s cross at the back post. Sebastian Prodl made a gallant effort at a goalline clearance but Sanchez’s finish had clearly crossed the line.
Watford would have been happy going in 2-0 down at that stage, but no such luck. Arsenal were purring and Ozil nodded in his side’s third after Sanchez’s brilliant cross on the stroke of half-time.
Had anyone got a touch on Hector Bellerin’s low cross nine minutes after the break then Watford would have been dead and buried.
Instead, they hit back in the 57th minute. Roberto Pereyra, a summer arrival from Juventus, and Daryl Janmaat, who joined from Newcastle, were handed their Watford debuts as second-half substitutes and they combined to give the home side hope as Pereyra cooly slotting home after Koscielny failed to deal with Janmaat’s cross.
Watford sensed a dramatic comeback. The danger, of course, was getting caught on the counter.
Had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain passed to Walcott or Sanchez instead of trying to chip then Arsenal would have had a fourth. Instead, Cech was called on to save from Jose Holebas’s effort before keeping out Ighalo from the rebound.
Watford kept pressing, with Ighalo firing over with an acrobatic overhead kick before Cech kept out substitute Isaac Success’s headed effort while Valon Behrami fired wide.
Watford’s spirited rally eventually ran out of steam, though, and the Gunners sauntered home.
Mustafi and Perez will be welcome additions to the Arsenal squad this season but make no mistake, there is still only one king of the Emirates.