Mesut Ozil Is 'Really Focused Again' After Goal vs. West Ham, Says Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that Mesut Ozil has regained his focus after the German playmaker scored his first goal of 2017 in Wednesday's 3-0 victory over West Ham United, per Mattias Karen for ESPN FC.

Ozil's second-half strike opened the scoring on a nervy night at the Emirates Stadium before Theo Walcott turned in an Ozil pass and Olivier Giroud sealed the game in the closing minutes.

"I feel that he's back physically, with focus," Wenger said, per Karen. "I felt he had been hit hard by us going out in the Champions League, and it took him some time to recover from that mentally. I feel for a few weeks now in training he's really focused again, and that comes out in the game."

The 28-year-old has been heavily criticised during Arsenal's tough start to the calendar year, with many questioning his attitude and work rate. In February, former Gunners defender Martin Keown said "you don't know when he is coming or going" and labelled Ozil an "expensive luxury," per James Restall for the Daily Mail.

But Ozil was considerably more effective on Wednesday following a decent display against Manchester City on Sunday, assisting Arsenal's second goal. 

He clearly enjoys playing against West Ham, as OptaJoe pointed out via Twitter:

Arsenal desperately need this upturn in form to continue as they pursue their 21st consecutive top-four Premier League finish, something Wenger is adamant his side can still achieve.

"It's possible of course," Wenger added, per Karen. "We have a game in hand on City. We have players back from injuries. We had quite a strong bench tonight. So overall, we have done it before in more difficult conditions. But we have to try to do it again."

His confidence is based on the belief that Arsenal have been playing more freely over the past two matches.

"You could see that even if the result against City wasn't what we wanted, it had a positive impact on the morale of the team," he said, per Karen. "In the second half our technical superiority made the difference."

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

And the Arsenal manager expressed his pleasure that his team have put their recent nervousness behind them: "It's a good result tonight and a relief as well because we have gone through a bad period. But overall you can say that the mentality of the team is healthy, and that is a good basis."

Ozil's contract is set to expire in the summer of 2018, and the 28-year-old recently told Die Welt he will "talk soon and then make a decision" (h/t Lyall Thomas for Sky Sports).

Wednesday's 3-0 win against the Hammers could be the start of a revival for the German. Arsenal are only four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, and if Ozil is back to his best, then the Gunners will no doubt challenge them all the way.

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