Ozil's Mental Scars Healing
Byline: DOMINIC KING, SAMI MOKBEL
ARSENAL 4
EVERTON 1
ARSENE WENGER has spoken many words about Mesut Ozil but none as revealing as the ones he offered after Arsenal secured a return to Wembley. March is a huge month for Arsenal and their PS42million signing and Ozil's sparkling performance in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton was a step in the right direction.
As Wenger explained why Ozil may be able to help retrieve a bleak situation in Munich tomorrow, his chief emotion was relief that the 25-year-old was over 'the injury' of missing a penalty in the 2-0 home defeat by Bayern.
Ozil's form has been the subject of great scrutiny and, according to Wenger, the impact of failure from 12 yards cannot be understated. It left Ozil mentally broken and rebuilding his battered confidence has taken time.
'I think it affected him mentally too much,'
Wenger explained after Arsenal won through goals by Ozil, two from Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta's penalty. 'It was not only physical, it was mental. He had the feeling he let the team down.'
There is no question Ozil will be wound up for Bayern and his guile and determination showed he had a point to prove. …
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