If Arsenal are to make any sort of success of the new season, and prove Arsene Wenger and our CEO Ivan Gazidis right with their claims that the Gunners did well in the summer transfer window, then you would have to say that we need our Chile international star Alexis Sanchez to be firing on all cylinders.
It is too soon to say whether that will be the case or not, because even though he was a bit below par in our last game, which saw Arsenal humbled 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, it was his first game of the season at club level and the whole Arsenal team played poorly.
Alexis usually performs at international level, though, so there will be Arsenal fans out there who are concerned about the striker after his last two games for Chile. They suffered a shock defeat at home to Paraguay and a lot of people suggested that Sanchez was not in the right frame of mind, which is hardly surprising as he had just found out that his summer transfer to Man City would not happen.
Last night Chile suffered a second defeat in a row, away to Bolivia and that has put their World Cup qualifying at risk and seen criticism aimed at the Arsenal man, to which he responded in a post on social media reported by Sky Sports in which he says he is tired of the questions and the pressure of having to carry his national team.
So if I was Arsene Wenger I would certainly try to use this to the benefit of Arsenal. Tell Alexis to simply play and enjoy his football with the Gunners and that the better he plays the more likely it will be that he gets a move in January or gets the best possible move next summer.
If the striker is feeling the pressure with Chile can Wenger make his club football more relaxing and get the best out of a player that the Gunners really need to be at or close to his best?
Bob.