Arsenal owner wants Wenger to stay at the club

off following an opening weekend loss to Aston Villa.

Arsenal’s fortunes have improved dramatically since then and the US$68mil (RM219mil) arrival of Germany midfielder Ozil on transfer deadline day has further lifted the mood of a club desperate to end their eight-year trophy drought.

Ozil has already shown off his vast creative talents by setting up several goals for his new colleagues, but the former Real Madrid playmaker is keen to get on the scoresheet more often as well.

“I don’t want to praise myself too much but I thinkmystatistics are good. I would like to score more goals,” Ozil said.

The Gunners’ lofty league position has surprised many people given that they have not been genuine title contenders for a number of seasons.

And it seems even Ozil hadn’t fully appreciated the qualities of his team-mates either until he played alongside them.

When asked to pick out the one who impressed him most, he replied: “I don’t just want to say one player, I am surprised by the technical quality of the whole team.”

Arsenal will need Ozil to be at his best this weekend, as they will be without a number of injured stars including Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Alex OxladeChamberlain.

The lengthy injury list has opened the door for previously exiled striker Nicklas Bendtner, who made his first Arsenal appearance since May 2012 when he featured in Arsenal’s penalty shootout win at West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.

The Denmark forward is unlikely to start at Swansea, especially as first-choice Olivier Giroud has made such an impressive start to the season with five goals so far, but he should make a rare appearance on the substitutes’ bench.

Michael Laudrup’s Swansea have established themselves as a team that can rival Arsenal in the possession stakes and goalkeeper Michel Vorm is expecting a game for the purists to savour.

“Arsenal are also a side who play good football and that is something we try to do,” he said.

“If you play against a team like Arsenal, it is always going to be a fantastic match.

“I really think that we and Arsenal are playing some of the best football in the Premier League.

“That is not to say we have to compete to win the title or anything but the way we play, for neutral fans, is a joy to watch.” — AFP LONDON: Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has made it clear he wants manager Arsene Wengerto stay at the clubandendthe Gunners’ trophy drought.

French boss Wenger has already been at the north London side for 17 years. But Arsenal have now entered their ninth season without silverware, their last major trophy the 2005 FA Cup.

Wenger’s contract is due to expire after the end of the current campaign and there has been speculation regarding the 63-year-old’s long-term future.

But American businessman Kroenke made it clear he wanted Wenger to stay.

“There’s no one I feel more strongly about and I think he is doing a great job,” Kroenke said.

Asked if Wenger was part of Arsenal’s longterm plans, Kroenke replied: “That’s exactly right. Arsene knows how we feel, what our philosophy is, what we want to do and I feel like we are totally aligned.

“I think he wants to do it the exact same way as we do.”

“I really enjoy Arsene – very smart, very intelligent.

“He has an absolute view on how he runs that team and the club. He has earned that right.”— AFP