With Arsenal facing a trip to the in form Premier League leaders on Sunday, you would expect the manager to be planning to rest all of his key players this week for the Europa League game against Red Star Belgrade and then select as strong a side as possible at the weekend, and Arsene Wenger may still do just that.
However, the Frenchman may have some real concerns about using Alexis Sanchez at the Etihad, and not just because the Chile international might not be quite in the right frame of mind to face the same side he was reportedly close to signing for in the summer transfer window.
Alexis was certainly not linked with Swansea City and nor would you expect him to be, but his performance levels against the Welsh club were well below par, as the worrying statistics from the game as reported by The Mirror make clear.
The striker is usually an all action player but at the weekend the distance he coverd was less than every other Arsenal player bar the aging German centre back Per Mertesacker. Even stranger, perhaps, is the stat that shows the top speed of the BFG during that clash with the Swans was actually slightly quicker than that of the Chilean.
If that does not worry you then it should and it should be giving Wenger a real concern as he prepares the Gunners for what could be the biggest game of the season. If these stats are to be taken seriously then it shows Sanchez is not at the races and if that is true, do Arsenal have to take on City without him?
Bob.
Per was slightly quicker than Alexis?? Jesus Christ!!
No Sue he said Per was the only one slower than Alexis.
No the top speed of Per was slightly quicker than Alexis
Sorry my bad, as the kids say.
Misread it!
No worries Declan
Only one person to blame for this Alexis mess. Arsenal is one of the most frustrating clubs to support. How many times have we gone down a goal this season? Defence lacking, sanchez nowhere near last years form, Lacazette looking lost, Ozil likely to leave as well. A real mess imo
Chess, Some lunatics actually disagree that Arsenal are in a mess. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
The manager?? The Board??
I will be sad when he goes .
He embodied everything I loved in a footballer even the humble beginnings
Fans will naturally say no ones bigger than club and he is just one man .
But if we were big enough no player of such magnitude would leave
I think he’ll want to play. Could probably do some house hunting after the game.
He is an Arsenal player paid by Arsenal and should play, whoever the opponents. If we keep giving him time off for whatever reason he should have been sold in the summer.
He will play and play well…He will want to show his suitors what he’s made of
..it’s unfortunate why and how Wenger didnt the see the might of Sanchez those early years..He was busy beggng Ozil for. A new contract to the neglect of Sanchez..when it was glaring it was Sanchez carrying the teams.. Sanchez is human and he deserves to be angry..and dovwhat pleases him
Ozil is replacebale..what the name oft that giy from huddsfeild whose created 5 chances from their 7 goals
If Sanchez goes he’s replacebale, but will be hard
“Sanchez is human and he deserves to be angry and do what pleases him”
What such of weird comment won’t one read from fans placing a player far and above Arsenal FC?
Alexis earning what vast majority of the fans won’t get close to earning in a year just in a week, yet he has the all clear to do and act as he pleases?! Love or whatever for Alexis Sanchez (even when he plays or acts sh*t) is definitely getting to a level that is best described as “unfortunate”.
Looks like some here are simply Alexis Sanchez fans and not Arsenal FC fan.
I say play him and if he is not trying then sub him off, but he must start.
Sanchez and Walcott in, and Ozil out because we need pace to push Man City backwards
I have consistently said that both ozil and sanchez should have been sold last summer if they would not sign a new contract. No matter how professional a player is, if their heart is elsewhere then it is almost certain their form will suffer. Also, next season we will be without both of them and without the say £100 million we would have had if they had been sold.
If the two of them had been driving us towards the PL title then I would have been wrong, as things stand it looks like I was correct. I would have preferred to be proven wrong.
With alexis:
City 5-1 Arsenal
Without Alexis
City 8-0 Arsenal
Seriously, I’ve been watching city’s games all season . Arsenal are no where near them. Beating Napoli in style is outarageous. The best arsenal can hope for with their shit defence is 3-0 defeat.
City 2 Arsenal 2
I am impressed with the article and the comments. It is true that he did not have better performance against Swansea but I generate some occasions. It is not having a good performance but it leaves everything in the field. Can you forgive this performance to someone who has 74 goals and 41 assists = 115 in 3 temoradas and 2 months of this?
What clubs like Man City, Bayern, (today I read in the Spanish press Real Madrid), are interested in Alexis gives me the feeling that here is underestimated to a sensational footballer. And speaking in the football aspect I think that if the team had a good performance we would not see Alexis going down to the center of the camo to look for balls because they do not reach him, and that hurts him because he is dangerous when he receives the ball near the area
OR he may be particularly motivated to put on a great show in front of his likely future employers…