Ozil pulls strings to
Lukaku? Shackling our strikeforce in
WELCOME back Ozil, welcome Arsenal.
Missing in action in three of Arsenal’s last four defeats – he did not play against Ostersunds – Ozil was back to his mesmerising best in the San Siro.
The 29-year-old pulled the strings by setting up first Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who also hit the woodwork, and then Aaron Ramsey as Arsenal sailed into a two-goal lead against AC Milan.
This was the Germany star who terrorised La Liga with Real Madrid and helped his country win the 2014 World Cup. The man Arsene Wenger decided was worth £350,000 a week.
About time he showed up. Arsenal were bidding to avoid a fifth straight loss for the first time since 1977 and they had to rip up the form book to pull it off. Milan were unbeaten in 13 matches going into it and had not conceded a goal in six matches. They had lost just one of their previous 20 games in European competitions in their own stadium.
By contrast, manager Wenger was so concerned about his own side’s form, he even said before kick-off they had “forgotten how good they are”. Ozil, for one night at least, remembered.
For Wenger, it was not quite the old master painting another work of art but it did at least paper over some of the cracks that have been appearing this season.
Arsenal were still wide open at times and they rode their luck. But they stopped the rot, kept a clean sheet, eased the pressure on their manager and are suddenly big favourites to win the tie with two vital away goals. Who would have thought all that was possible after Sunday’s dismal 2-1 defeat at Brighton following the week of woe against Manchester City?
They made a shaky start but should have led when the first of many brilliant Ozil passes picked out Jack Wilshere bombing forward. The Gunners midfielder, above, started in the No10 role but despite being clean through, he chose to pass out wide to Mkhitaryan, who struck the Mesut back DEJAN LOVREN says Liverpool’s defence should have no trouble shackling Romelu Lukaku at Old Trafford tomorrow given they spend all week trying to keep their own strikers under lock and key. The Croatia centre-back says Manchester United’s big money summer signing is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and has personal experience of his significant physical threat. But he said trying to stop Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scoring every day at Melwood is a greater test of their defensive ability and the perfect preparation for the battle for second spot.
“Romelu Lukaku is a top striker,” said Lovren. “He scores many goals and I enjoy playing against big, top strikers. But the biggest challenge for me is when you have Salah and Mane at the training ground. It is then you know what you are as a defender.”
Lovren and Lukaku were locked in a robust battle when the sides met at Anfield in October in a match which finished goalless.
It reached a flashpoint when Lovren accused the United frontman of a deliberate stamp to his head. Five months on and Lovren is in a more forgiving mood, insisting he will not carry animosity into tomorrow’s match and saying he considers the matter over despite having received no apology from the Belgian.
Just eight days after that clash, Lovren endured his worst display in a Liverpool shirt when substituted after 30 minutes in a 4-1 defeat by Tottenham.
Since then his improvement has been steady and relentless despite the distraction of having his house burgled when he was at Anfield when the side were beating NK Maribor in a Champions League group match.
“I have said many times I don’t know one player who doesn’t make a mistake, especially a defender and especially how we play at Liverpool with high offensive football,” said Lovren.
“I made many wrong decisions. Sometimes I can accept it, sometimes not,