Mesut Ozil has revealed his delight that Arsenal’s crucial victory over Newcastle helped them leapfrog fierce rivals Tottenham in the enthralling Premier League top-four tussle.
Goals from Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal a 2-0 win over Newcastle on Monday and lifted them to third above rivals Spurs and Manchester United .
Ramsey found his way through a packed defence on the half hour to score with a low shot before Frenchman Lacazette put the game to bed in the 83rd minute with a chip over the keeper.
The result put Arsenal on 63 points with seven games left, two above Spurs and Manchester United, with Chelsea a further point behind, as Unai Emery’s side boosted their hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League football next season.
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And Ozil, who was handed a start by Emery on Monday, was chuffed to see the Gunners get one over their noisy neighbours.
“Our aim is to get to the top four so of course we are happy we are in front of Tottenham,” he said, speaking after the game.
“It is always competition with them but if we play like we play today, we want to win and take all the points to get top four by the end of the season."
Five of Arsenal’s remaining seven fixtures are away, where they have picked up fewer than half of their points this season, a fact Emery was quick to pick up on after the match.
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“Our challenge is away - to be as consistent as we are at home,” the Spanish boss told reporters.
His players, nevertheless, seem confident that they can return to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in three seasons.
“I can feel the difference in the atmosphere from last season. Now we can maybe go to the Champions League,” Lacazette told Sky Sports after a convincing win over the Magpies.
