Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 8y

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil getting 'taste' to score more goals - Arsene Wenger

LONDON - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hailed Mesut Ozil's first career hat trick as further evidence that the German playmaker is getting a "taste to score goals."

Ozil scored his treble in the second half to complete a 6-0 Champions League demolition of Bulgarian side Ludogorets at the Emirates, taking his tally to six goals in all competitions.

And Wenger, who said on Saturday that Ozil "scores when he wants" in training, said: "He looks like he gets a taste to score goals because he goes more in behind [the defence]. Before, he liked only to come to the ball and provide.

"You want him to be a provider and a scorer, and it looks like he is slowly moving to that better balance."

This was Arsenal's seventh straight victory in all competitions, and the Londoners have scored 23 goals in that run.

Wednesday's win also included spectacular first-half goals by in-form forwards Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 3-0 just after the restart.

The Gunners had struggled to score throughout the spring as their Premier League title challenge fell apart, and Wenger said he was uncertain how to explain the turnaround.

"Maybe the confidence is high. Maybe we have a good balance at the moment in the team," he said.

"Maybe we make more of our chances. Is that because our final ball is better, is that because our finishing is better? It's difficult to analyse.

"But what is for sure is we score more goals. And that is what our game is about. We have a risky game, and therefore it's important that we take our chances."

The Gunners were under threat several times during the first half, with goalkeeper David Ospina was called into action.

Wenger said Ospina "saved us twice" and added: "If we do not really focus on defending we become a bit vulnerable, because the structure is more focusing on attack than defending.

"But as long as you score three, the opponent has to score four to beat you. So let's continue to score goals and get these lapses of concentration out of our game."

The only concern for Arsenal was Santi Cazorla's substitution after taking a kick to his Achilles tendon. He struggled with an Achilles problem last season after recovering from a serious knee injury.

"He got a kick and I took him off as quickly as possible," Wenger said. "In my view he was limping a little bit, so I didn't want to take a gamble."

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