Arsenal took a giant step toward progressing to the Champions League knock-out stage with a superb 2-0 victory over Napoli at the Emriates. After a win in Marseille on Matchday One, Arsenal are now in firm control of what was on paper the toughest group in this season’s competition.
Enthused with the confidence supplied by nine successive wins, Arsenal started in rampaging form. Despite making a fine start to their own season -- including a 2-1 victory over last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund -- Napoli were blown away by the home side’s intensity. After 15 minutes the score was 2-0, Napoli were shell-shocked and never really recovered.
Mesut Ozil, who both symbolically and with his dazzling play has played such a big role in Arsenal’s extraordinary run, was at the heart of things. It was he that produced the moment of the match with a finish of exemplary technique to put his side in front with his first goal for his new club. Within no time at all he added yet another assist to his collection to set-up Olivier Giroud to double the lead. Both goals owed a debt to some shambolic defending from Rafael Benitez’s side, but the play of Arsenal was a joy to behold.
The pace expectedly dropped after the break as Arsenal took their foot off the gas. Napoli, though, despite having much more of the ball failed to create a single chance of note and in the end faded timidly to defeat. The side second in Serie A could point to the absence through injury of former Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain, but it is hard to figure that the presence of the striker would have altered the result.
A further boost for Arsene Wenger on a perfect night came with a return to the lineup for Tomas Rosicky, which meant that Jack Wilshere could get some rest on the bench. Rosicky formed part of a fluid attacking midfield three alongside Ozil and Aaron Ramsey that Napoli struggled to contain in the early going.
More to follow.
ArNa10Oz by footballdaily1
ArsNap20Go by footballdaily1
VIDEO Arsenal 2-0 Napoli: Highlights, Match Report; Ozil And Giroud Fire Gunners To Superb Champions League Win
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