Arsenal have the quality to score three against Monaco, they just have to believe says German star Mesut Ozil


Arsenal trail Monaco 3-1 after Champions League last 16 first leg

The Gunners need to score at least three times in Monaco to progress

But Ozil insists that his team's good form means they should be confident

Arsenal breezed past West Ham 3-0 at home on Saturday


German playmaker Mesut Ozil has called on his Arsenal team-mates to believe they have what it takes to produce their own miracle result in Monte Carlo on Tuesday night.


The Gunners' hopes of progress to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition are all but over following a disappointing 3-1 defeat in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last month.
No team has recovered from more than a single-goal deficit going into an away leg in the Champions League era.

Monaco beat nine-man Bastia 3-0 in Ligue 1 on Friday night to extend their formidable defensive record with only seven goals conceded from the last 22 games.

Leonardo Jardim's side did not let in a goal in three home ties during the Champions League group stages, but despite all the odds being stacked against the Barclays Premier League side Ozil feels Arsenal are well worth a gamble.

'When you believe in yourselves, a positive energy grows that you can achieve your aims. In football, things that may look unlikely can happen. I know that if we believe in ourselves and utilise our potential, we can still go through,' Ozil told Arsenal Player.

'We need to score three goals and Monaco are a team that play defensively, but we have to take initiative and score the first goal as quickly as possible to boost our confidence.

'It is going to be difficult to score three times because they have defended well in the tournament so far, but if you look at our past matches and the way we played against Manchester United (in the FA Cup quarter-final) last week, I think there's a chance we can still progress.

'When you look at the Manchester United game, we controlled it and deserved to win the game, that just shows that if we convert what the manager encourages us to do into the games, we can achieve a lot.'
Ozil added: 'We know the quality we have in our team - there are world-class players here.

'Look at our options in attack, where a variety of players can and do score goals. That's a positive for us and we will make sure to give everything in Monaco to advance to the next round.'
Ozil has returned from three months out with a knee injury looking a much-stronger player, covering plenty of ground.

The 26-year-old former Real Madrid midfielder feels he is benefiting from his new training regime.

'I wanted to be as fit as possible when I returned after my injury. I worked on the upper part of my body as well as paying attention to my nutrition,' he said.
'I underwent treatment to get myself fit as soon as possible and to prevent the injury from returning. I am on a good path now.

'I worked really hard and I think it shows in training and in matches that I am fresher.
'I am really happy to be back on the pitch and able to do what I most love.'

Tuesday night will see Wenger return to the Stade Louis II for the first time since his successful spell in charge which saw them win the 1988 French league title and Coupe de France in 1991, as well as reaching the 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup final and semi-finals of the Champions League.