Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger targets Christmas number one

The Germany global made his 13th assist of the Premier League season so far after Ozil unselfishly teed up Aaron Ramsey for the north London side’s second goal in a 2-0 win at Aston Villa.

Villa were unable to set up an uncomfortable finish as Adam Traore sent a shot into the side-netting to the relief of Arsenal, who could be replaced at the top by Leicester City today, and the loss leaves the Garde’s side eight points adrift of safety at the bottom.

Arsenal’s fans’ happiness at seeing their side go top was enhanced hours later when arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur’s 14-game unbeaten run was ended by a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Newcastle United.

“You’re only two days away from another crisis so it’s important we keep our feet on the ground”, McClaren said. “It will be an interesting one but we at least can recover first and prepare then”.

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The Frenchman scored once at Villa Park to cap a fine week after netting a hat-trick against Olympiacos on Wednesday to fire Arsenal to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

“For me, he was Man of the Match”, Henry said.

“I think he’s improved technically and his link-up play is better”.

“He is more of a player who plays with his back to goal and brings other people in. He is also mentally very strong, too”.

Arsenal’s trip to Villa Park pitted Wenger against former Gunners player Remi Garde for the first time.

“But it is not completely a lost cause”. Every year we have seen teams survive that, before Christmas, everyone was saying they had absolutely no chance. “Obviously, I did a job for the manager, which he asked me to do at the end of last season and, hopefully, I can get back in there, stay fit and healthy and have a good year”. But we were mature, and maybe a bit lucky on one or two occasions, but overall it is great to come here and to win away again. I see that as an opportunity, not a problem. Ramsey broke the seasonal Premier League record for covering the biggest distance over 90 minutes – 12.37km – and the nature of his 38th minute goal typified the Welshman’s game-breaking abilities as a box-to-box player.

“I wanted to have certain answers and he told me that in the case of relegation the project was still on, and that he counted on me to lead it. So I am working also in the medium term”. “We know that if we can give Mesut the ball, we can trust that he will make things happen time after time”.