Arsène Wenger plans to talk to Mesut Özil about the German’s assessment on Arsenal’s season that “we mucked it up ourselves” as he insists his players do not give up on winning the league despite Leicester’s significant points advantage.
“I will make sure they don’t feel that,” Wenger said. “The statement is not welcome. Because we have to believe, no matter if it is just one chance in 100, we have to believe. We only have a real chance if we believe.
“I think the worst thing in life is to have wrong beliefs. So you have to make sure that you give absolutely your best, and at the end accept if somebody is better than you that you have given your best. We have to make sure that we play with passion until the end. That is the best way to get the supporters behind us.”
In an interview given over the international break, Özil rued points dropped against “the so-called smaller teams”. Wenger has no objection to candour. “I have nothing against that. You want to be fair and honest. But you want as well to look forward. I want these players to be rewarded. If you look at the effort they have put in since the start of the season, mentally in their work and dedication every day, you know this group deserves to be rewarded. But Leicester will say the same and Tottenham as well. There’s still good opportunity and we have to grab it now. It’s now or never.”
The issue that has most frustrated Wenger is a lack of efficiency, and he has urged his players to find more ruthlessness in the run-in, beginning on Saturday against Watford. “Our biggest deficit compared to last season was the chances we created and the goals scored. We have created more chances than last year and scored fewer goals,” he said.
With that in mind, the impetus that a few fresh faces have given the team in recent games has not gone unnoticed. The midfield has more balance with Mohamed Elneny passing and moving smartly alongside Francis Coquelin, and Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck have made a refreshing impact up front.
Wenger is particularly impressed at how a change in Welbeck’s attitude is reaping rewards and makes him look a different prospect at centre-forward. “I think it’s not physical, it’s mental,” the manager said. “He looks like he realised he has to add something to his game. Maybe he was frustrated as well to be out for the first time for a long, long period. It has loaded his mental determination. Before he looked not certain of his game when he came to the finishing but now he looks much more assertive.
“Danny has all the qualities you need in the modern game. He has pace, he has stature. If he adds that finishing quality he has all you need.” Welbeck is in his mid-20s, and it is uncommon to find a player suddenly improve their finishing at that age, but Wenger thinks the former Manchester United forward can become more ruthless. “It is a bit unusual but I have seen it before, especially from players who moved from the flanks to the middle. We have seen it with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now at Dortmund, he was a very poor finisher on the flank. We have seen it with Thierry Henry. Hopefully we will see it with Welbeck as well. Mentally he looks ready for the challenge.”
Welbeck profile is more athletic to that of Arsenal’s usual line leader, Olivier Giroud, and the team have looked more mobile since the England forward has been selected in the centre of attack. The onus is on Arsenal to be clinical if they are to keep believing they can maintain some long-shot pressure on Leicester.