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.