Is there anybody else on the planet other than Arsene Wenger who thought it was a good idea for Arsenal to start a crucial Premier League match away to Liverpool without Alexis Sanchez? Anyone? Come on now don’t be shy?
‘Tactical reasons’ is what the Sky Sports report on the game said and if that is true then we really are in trouble because our manager must have lost the plot. What will his next tactical surprise be I wonder? Playing without a goalkeeper to throw the other team off balance and lull them into a false sense of security?
The fact that we were completely dominated in the first half and only managed to muster up just one shot on target before the Frenchman relented and brought on the Chile international at the restart. Arsenal were already going into the match with problems, especially on the creative side of things, with Mesut Ozil’s illness and Santi Cazorla’s second ankle surgery keeping them out, so what possessed Wenger to drop our best and most dangerous attacking player I can only guess.
He said it was to increase the aerial threat by having Welbeck and Giroud on but that sort of thing would usually work only in a game where you are pressing forward against a deep sitting defence. And even if you accept the ‘aerial’ argument why would Iwobi and Walcott start ahead of Sanchez? Answers on a postcard please.
Bob.