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Wenger’s Faith in Ozil Pays-off, as German Tears Villa Apart

Like all great managers, Arsene Wenger is at his best when being written off and bombarded with advice from supporters who should know better.

The call from Arsenal fans for the manager to sling out Mesut Ozil had reached fever pitch in the build-up to Saturday’s match at Villa Park.

So what did Wenger do? He ignored popular opinion, made Ozil the focal point of his team and relegated midfielder Jack Wilshere and the popular striker Alexis Sanchez to the bench.

1411226196104_Image_galleryImage_BIRMINGHAM_ENGLAND_SEPTEMMesut Ozil evades Philippe Senderos to latch on to Danny Welbeck’s pass and score Arsenal’s opening goal against Aston Villa

Wenger then sat back and watched Ozil and deadline-day signing Danny Welbeck tear Villa to shreds with three goals in the space of little more than three minutes.

The Frenchman admitted that dropping his £42million record buy from Real Madrid for his poor showing in Tuesday’s Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund might destroy his fragile confidence.

Instead, he moved the 25-year-old into a central position where he could affect play, and Ozil did not let him down with a goal and assist.

‘I didn’t really consider leaving out Ozil,’ said Wenger. ‘I have a lot of attacking players and you are always looking to find the right balance. Alexis Sanchez for example, has played every game and I felt he needed a rest.

‘I wanted Ozil to play behind their midfield. It was important for him to find space between the lines and it worked.

‘I felt we were at the point where I had to show confidence in him. You never know how people respond to being left out. It’s a sensitive point.’

Improbable as it sounds, Paul Lambert’s men could have gone top of the table with a victory on Saturday, with the only team above them at kick-off, Chelsea, playing Manchester City on Sunday.