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Gunners go top as Ozil sizzles in Stoke win
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The Arsenal fans came to acclaim record signing Mesut Ozil on his home debut but Aaron Ramsey took the plaudits with the first goal in a 3-1 win over Stoke City which put the Gunners top of the English Premier League yesterday.
Welsh midfielder Ramsey scored his seventh goal of the season after five minutes, firing home after Ozil’s freekick had come back off Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic.
Stoke did equalize after 26 minutes through American Geoff Cameron but goals from Per Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna sealed a seventh consecutive win in all competitions for the Gunners.
After losing its opening match of the season at home to Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger’s side has won four league games in a row and has 12 points, two more than Chelsea and Liverpool.
Swansea City followed up a notable 3-0 Europa League win in Valencia in midweek with a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace that moved Michael Laudrup’s side into mid-table.
While Ramsey continued his hot streak, Ozil offered Arsenal fans plenty of encouragement, having a hand in all three goals.
It was the German playmaker’s ball into the area that allowed compatriot Mertesacker to direct a header in at the far post after 36 minutes and he then supplied the second-half freekick which Sagna met with a looping header over the stranded Begovic.
Stoke had threatened to sour the mood when Cameron steered in a rebound after Marco Arnautovic’s shot rebounded off the post and enjoyed decent spell after the break before Sagna ended its hopes of a rare away point against Arsenal.
Ozil, signed for 42.5 million pounds (US$68 million) from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day, received an ovation when he was substituted near the end.
“He’s of course a player, when you look at his numbers, the assists are not a coincidence, they are a reality of his game,” Wenger said. “I believe that once he is completely integrated we will see even more of him. But he’s shown today that he is a great player. He gave a lift to everyone in the club.”
Tottenham Hotspur can match Arsenal’s total later with victory at Cardiff City.
Manchester United was meeting Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium without striker Robin van Persie who was ruled out with a groin strain in the build-up to the day’s big derby, the first such fixture for both City manager Manuel Pellegrini and United counterpart David Moyes.
It also will be the first Manchester derby not involving Alex Ferguson, who retired as manager of reigning English champion United at the end of last season, for 27 years.
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