Arsene Wenger tells me to score more often – Mesut Ozil

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil says Arsene Wenger is constantly telling him he needs to score more often because “he knows that I’m ice cold in front of goal.”

Ozil has become more of a scorer than a playmaker this season, netting seven goals already while only registering three assists — a meagre output for the man who had 19 in the Premier League in the previous campaign.

Wenger has previously said he’s urged the German to get into more scoring positions rather than always look to set up his teammates. And Ozil confirmed that those talks have helped change his focus.

“The manager wants me to score lots of goals,” Ozil told the Arsenal website. “He sees in training that when I have a chance, the ball mostly goes in. When we train on finishing, he sees that I score lots of goals. He knows that I’m ice cold in front of goal and he wants to see that in matches.

“I’m doing that now — I go forward and, while I haven’t changed my game, I’m focusing on scoring goals myself too.

“Every year he comes to me and says, ‘You need to score more than 10 goals this season — that needs to be your aim because you have the quality.’ I’m trying to take that on.”

Ozil netted his first career hat trick in the 6-0 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League and then added a spectacular winner in the away leg against the Bulgarian side last week. But he rejected the notion that he has adopted a more selfish attitude on the pitch.

“I wouldn’t say I’m more selfish. As I said, I’d never change my playing style. I’m the kind of person who, if I see a teammate in a better position I will pass to them,” Ozil said. “But I try to finish myself too, or to run into space so I can finish.”