Football
Kevin Palmer 10y

Wenger welcomes Ramsey, Ozil returns

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted his team have looked "toothless" in their recent matches away from home, but he believes they are getting back to their best as they look to seal another top four finish.

• Mangan: Ramsey's stellar showing hints at what might have been
• McNicholas: Szczesny deserving of FA Cup final

The Gunners emphatic 3-0 win at Hull on Sunday was aided by a goal from the fit-again Aaron Ramsey and the return of record-signing Mesut Ozil, with Wenger suggesting the presence of the midfield duo is crucial to his side’s hopes of securing a return to the Champions League for a 17th successive season.

“It is important [to have Ramsey back] because we looked a bit toothless away from home in a few games,” Wenger told Arsenal's official website. “To have that [scoring option] back is of course a threat for our opponent and it gives us opportunities to score goals.

“Ozil had 60 minutes and it was quite encouraging. He was out for seven weeks and it is good to have him back.”

Wenger went on to say Arsenal are now back on form after a four-game winless run threatened their top-four hopes, and claimed the 3-0 defeat at Everton earlier this month was a blow that took his side some time to recover from.

“The disappointing result we had at Everton had a big bearing and you could see that in the Wigan game [FA Cup semifinal],” he added. “Once we got through that tie, against West Ham you could see a different team and against Hull again you could see a different team.

“We looked like scoring goals. In the second half when we scored the third goal, it became easier and we controlled the game well. It was a great performance. I felt so [that the team was fresh], it was more mental.

“We have 70 points now and we want more. We know we have a fight and a battle and we want to finish as well as we can. One we got through the semifinal of the FA Cup, you could see it gave the team a lift.”

^ Back to Top ^