Gamble on Ozil lifts Gunners

Record signing makes solid debut for Arsenal despite stomach ailment

Arsene Wenger said he took a gamble in handing a Premier League debut to Mesut Ozil in Arsenal's 3-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday.

The Arsenal manager's high-risk strategy paid off as the 51.3 million euros ($68.3 million) record signing played a key role in his English top flight bow.

Ozil almost missed out due to a stomach bug, but he was pressed into immediate action far from 100 percent fit after his high-profile move from Real Madrid, due to injuries to the depleted Gunners' squad.

He was taken off late after an impressive introduction as two second-half goals from Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey helped seal the Gunners' third victory in four games.

After seeing his side strengthen its place among the early favorites thanks to two assists from his new arrival, Wenger revealed: "Mesut was like the team - he had an outstanding first-half and dropped physically in the second.

"He was sick on Thursday night and I only decided this morning to play him because he had a stomach bug.

"His first-half performance was outstanding, but if Santi Cazorla had been fit Ozil would have been on the bench as he was sick and I wouldn't have taken a gamble otherwise."

Olivier Giroud, who opened the scoring from Ozil's pass, is a major doubt for the midweek Champions League trip to Marseille with a knee injury and Wenger conceded he is likely to be without Spanish midfielder Cazorla until the end of October.

"Cazorla's ankle problem means he will be out for a few weeks. I don't think he will play before the next international break," said Wenger. "Giroud has a knee injury and we are very thin now."

Sunderland evened the score on a penalty goal by substitute Craig Gardner.

The home side was denied a second equalizer by a controversial call from referee Martin Atkinson to cancel out an apparent score by United States international Jozy Altidore.

The Black Cats are at the bottom of the standings after collecting one point from their first four games, and head coach Paolo Di Canio's frustration compounded when he was sent from his technical area by Atkinson as time ran out.

"The referee has the power to wait and see what happens with the outcome of the incident with Altidore. He made a mistake. It was a key moment and it decided the outcome of the game," Di Canio said.

"I protested to him about the amount of time he was adding at the end of the game. I was calm. I said to him: 'If you want to complete a perfect day today, then you only have to send me off'."

Di Canio, who handed full league debuts to Swansea loan midfielder Ki Sung-yeung and Greece winger Charis Mavrias, insisted his 14 new summer signings must be given time to gel.

"We were too shy and passive in the first half and Arsenal was on top," he added.

"But in the second half we dominated for long spells with determination, desire and quality. If we can continue to play like that, we can have a good season.

"It's about playing like that for sustained spells. We're at the bottom after four games but you can see that we have quality on the team."

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil controls the ball against Sunderland during their English Premier League match in Sunderland, northern England, on Saturday. Arsenal posted a 3-1 victory. Nigel Roddis / Reuters

(China Daily 09/16/2013 page24)