Aubameyang and Ozil inspire Arsenal comeback against Leicester
LONDON: The brilliance of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang kept Arsenal rolling along on Monday.
Ozil scored one goal and helped set up substitute Aubameyang for two more as Arsenal came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 in the English Premier League.
The win was the Gunners’ 10th straight overall, their longest run in 11 years.
It was also their seventh consecutive league victory and moved them up to fourth place with 21 points from nine games, two points behind Manchester City and Liverpool and level with third-placed Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.
“We are beginning to play with heart,” Arsenal manager Unai Emery said. “When you continue to improve your demands are very high. We need to control the matches more than we are doing now. First half we didn’t play well but then we played with quality and heart. This feeling together is very good.”
Emery’s side trailed to Hector Bellerin’s first-half own goal at the Emirates Stadium.
But Ozil, captaining Arsenal on his return to the side after back spasms, produced a majestic display to lead the Gunners’ impressive fightback and stroked in an equaliser off the post just before halftime.
Ozil hit a left-footed first-time shot past goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel after surging from the halfway line and exchanging passes with Bellerin.
Aubameyang was in the right place to tap into an empty net in the 63rd minute to give Arsenal the lead and was on hand to finish a team move in the 66th that was orchestrated by Ozil.
The German let a pass from Bellerin go through his legs to Alexandre Lacazette and continued his run into the area. Lacazette slid a perfect ball back into Ozil’s path and he crossed for Aubameyang, who easily tapped home at the far post.
On the 69th birthday of Emery’s predecessor Arsene Wenger, this was the kind of swashbuckling show that recalled Arsenal’s glory days under the Frenchman.
“From Mesut Ozil today, it’s a very good performance,” Emery said. “I think he can play very much with this commitment, behaviour, also with his quality, [as] captain or not captain.”
It was the perfect start to a hectic week that sees Arsenal travel to Portugal for a Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday before returning to domestic action at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Leicester boss Claude Puel was furious his side didn’t get a penalty for a first-half handball by Rob Holding.
“I am angry about this decision because the good work from my players was not helped,” he said.
Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2018
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