Mesut Ozil, Arsenal's club-record signing, is convinced that if his side can overcome Hull City to lift the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, more titles will follow.
Arsenal face Hull manager Steve Bruce’s side, looking to end a near decade without silverware, with their last success coming in the 2005 FA Cup final.
Ozil, signed from Real Madrid for £43.5 million (Dh268.9m) in September, just returned following a hamstring injury to provide a timely boost for Arsenal, who should have England midfielder Jack Wilshere available along with Aaron Ramsey, although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is battling to overcome a groin problem.
Ozil, 25, said that once the current Arsenal squad get their first taste of success, it will prove a springboard for more.
“We are in the final and we want to take this silverware now,” the German said. “I am convinced we will achieve that.
“We can win titles with this squad. This is very important for the fans as well, because they have been waiting for so long.
“I am very proud of the team. We qualified for the [Uefa] Champions League and we are in the FA Cup final. If we can win the cup, then it will be a great season.
“However, it will be a tough game because Hull fights till the end. Nowhere else other than in England are there so many teams who never give up.”
Ozil could be one of three Germans in the Arsenal starting line-up at Wembley, along with forward Lukas Podolski and defender Per Mertesacker.
Podolski knows the weight of expectation will firmly be on his side to finally deliver.
“We want a victory, so do the fans, and it is important for the club as well, after nine years with nothing,” he said.
“You go to Wembley, there are 40,000 or 50,000 Arsenal fans. The FA Cup is a big cup with a lot of history. It is not like the other cups in other leagues, so it is an important game.
“When I win the FA Cup, it will be great when I look back after my career.”
Arsenal are prepared for the challenge of ending the drought, Podolski said.
“We have a lot of players with confidence who have played a lot of games,” he said. “We go there on the pitch and we play our game, and when we play like the last five [Premier League] games, we will win the match.”
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Pakistanis at the ILT20
The new UAE league has been boosted this season by the arrival of five Pakistanis, who were not released to play last year.
Shaheen Afridi (Desert Vipers)
Set for at least four matches, having arrived from New Zealand where he captained Pakistan in a series loss.
Shadab Khan (Desert Vipers)
The leg-spin bowling allrounder missed the tour of New Zealand after injuring an ankle when stepping on a ball.
Azam Khan (Desert Vipers)
Powerhouse wicketkeeper played three games for Pakistan on tour in New Zealand. He was the first Pakistani recruited to the ILT20.
Mohammed Amir (Desert Vipers)
Has made himself unavailable for national duty, meaning he will be available for the entire ILT20 campaign.
Imad Wasim (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders)
The left-handed allrounder, 35, retired from international cricket in November and was subsequently recruited by the Knight Riders.
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WHY AAYAN IS 'PERFECT EXAMPLE'
David White might be new to the country, but he has clearly already built up an affinity with the place.
After the UAE shocked Pakistan in the semi-final of the Under 19 Asia Cup last month, White was hugged on the field by Aayan Khan, the team’s captain.
White suggests that was more a sign of Aayan’s amiability than anything else. But he believes the young all-rounder, who was part of the winning Gulf Giants team last year, is just the sort of player the country should be seeking to produce via the ILT20.
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Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
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