Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger surprised by Aaron Ramsey goals
- Published
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits Aaron Ramsey's goalscoring form has come as a surprise to him, after the midfielder struck again in the Gunners' 2-1 win over Marseille in the Champions League.
Adding to Theo Walcott's opener, the Wales international, 22, notched his sixth goal in seven games this season.
Despite conceding a late penalty, it was a record 10th away win for Arsenal.
"Honestly, I didn't expect him to score so many but he has improved his passing and technical quality," said Wenger.
"That is the most important thing, because he is always in a good position in the box.
"Scoring is a bit cyclic, but for me the most important thing is the quality of his game."
Ramsey's form completes his rehabilitation from a horrific double leg break, suffered during a challenge with Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross in 2010,, external which led to a nine-month lay-off.
The Gunners face Stoke at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and Wenger says being patient with Ramsey's recovery has paid dividends.
"I decided to be patient with him because when you have been injured for such a long time it takes a while to get back to your best," he said.
"The only thing you never know is does he come back completely?
"When you are injured before you are 20 you come back to your normal level and you improve like you have not been injured."
Wenger described his side's victory over Marseille as "important", given that his team will play Napoli and last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund in upcoming Group F games.
"I thought it would be a tricky game tonight," Wenger added. "I was conscious that they would be focused and Marseille had nothing to lose.
"I knew it was important to get three points, I said we need 10 points at least [to qualify for the knockout phase] so to start with three is good."
On his side's 10-game winning streak away from home, the Frenchman said that while Arsenal are often expected to win on the road, "what is interesting is the consistency we have shown, and that creates belief."
Rafael Benitez's Napoli beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in Wednesday's other game in the group.
- Published18 September 2013
- Published7 June 2019