Arsenal can achieve Monaco miracle, says Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil believes Arsenal are capable of overturning a 3-1 deficit when they face Monaco on Tuesday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Monaco ran out deserved winners in last month’s last-16 first leg, securing a result that leaves Arsenal needing to score at least three times in the return game at the Stade Louis II.

Many have already written off Arsenal’s chances – especially as their opponents have only conceded twice in the Champions League all season – yet Ozil is refusing to give in just yet.

“It’s very important to score early, but we will remain patient,” Ozil told Arsenal’s official website. “We want to fight and battle from the first minute until the last. This is a match that we are determined to win. We have to score three goals and our aim is to do just that while remaining tight in defence.

“If we play as we are capable of doing in Monaco, I still believe that we have a real chance to progress. We want to disrupt their rhythm and try to score as early as possible.

“It’s going to be difficult to score three times because they have defended well in the tournament so far, but if you look at our past matches and the way we played against Manchester United [in the FA Cup] last week, I think there’s a chance we can still progress.

“We have to believe in ourselves. When you believe in yourselves, a positive energy grows and you can achieve your aims. In football, things that may look unlikely can happen. I know that if we believe in ourselves and utilise our potential, we can still go through.”

Ozil’s comments were echoed by team-mate Aaron Ramsey, who added: “We will go there and try to score three or more goals and hopefully not concede any. That is our target and is how we will approach it.

“We had a sloppy first leg and we have made it quite difficult for ourselves, but it is not over yet. We are more than capable of scoring three goals. We scored three on Saturday and we believe in ourselves. So we will go into the game believing we can achieve that.”

Ozil, who played his part in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over West Ham on Saturday, missed three months of the season after picking up a knee injury in October. He used his spell on the sidelines to work on both his strength and fitness, and he feels he is now reaping the rewards.

“I wanted to be as fit as possible when I returned after my injury,” Ozil said. “I worked on my upper body as well as paying attention to my nutrition. I underwent treatment to get myself fit as soon as possible and to prevent the injury from returning. I’m on a good path now.

“I worked really hard and I think it shows in training and in matches that I’m fresher. I’m really happy to be back on the pitch and able to do what I love most.”

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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