Arsenal break away game hoodoo
Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil secured Arsenal’s first English Premier League win on the road in three months yesterday, with the 2-1 victory at Middlesbrough reviving the London club’s tough pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Sanchez curled in a free kick right before halftime that was cancelled out at the start of the second half by Alvaro Negredo. Sanchez played a part in Arsenal’s matchwinner; his cross was chested down by Aaron Ramsey to Ozil, who sealed three vital points in the 71st minute.
Arsenal, whose last away win came at Swansea on January 14, moved into sixth place. Although Manchester City is seven points ahead in the fourth Champions League place, Arsenal has a game in hand with seven still to play.
‘‘You could see we were not playing with full confidence during some moments but overall we wanted to win,’’ Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. ‘‘Overall, the commitment and the focus was there. When you’re in a lack-of- confidence situation you know it comes back slowly and only the results help.’’
Arsenal had won only one of its previous five league games, and Monday’s success came after Wenger tweaked Arsenal’s formation and set out with a three-man defence.
‘‘I felt that it added a bit more stability on the long balls,’’ he said. ‘‘We knew we would face a direct game and recently we have been punished on that.
‘‘Sometimes when a team lacks confidence, just to change a system can help to believe in something different.’’
Middlesbrough’s target is just staying in the Premier League, but it is looking more perilous after a loss that leaves the northeast team six points from safety with six games remaining.