Have Arsenal got no chance of the title if Alexis doesn’t play every game?

Are Arsenal a one-man team? by DN

I guess Arsenal were called a one-man team in the days of Thierry Henry, or when Robin Van Persie was scoring goals for fun, but is it true that we rely on Alexis Sanchez now so much that if he is not in the team we think we have every chance of losing?

Arsene Wenger obviously thinks that the Chilean is talismanic and unbreakable, or why would he have played him in our opening game of the season as a sub (when we were losing to West Ham), when he had already told the world that Sanchez would miss the first four games of the season? And start him in the second game without even considering if he was fit or not.

Is he as important to Arsenal as Messi is to Barcelona, or Ronaldo is to Real Madrid? We have already learned today that the Chile manager would rather start an injured Alexis against Brazil than leave him on the bench, so I am guessing that even his team-mates miss his influence if he’s not on the field?

This is beginning to look to me like Arsenal are going to be scared of teams if we don’t have Sanchez in the starting line-up, and conversely that our opponents are going to feel more confident if he is not named in the team sheet before the game?

Okay, so if he gets injured, what is the worst that could happen? Cazorla could play on the left, Giroud in the middle, and Walcott on the right. With Mesut Ozil behind them in the diamond. Surely we should feel more than confident with that line-up, but I’ve just got this sneaky feeling that we will NOT feel we are so superior all of a sudden, and could lose without Sanchez on the pitch.

Does anyone else have these reservations? I am seriously worried that Alexis will come back from South America with a worse groin strain than when he left, and suddenly Watford could become a hard team to beat if he doesn’t play, simply because of our reliance on the Chilean too much.

Are we really becoming a one-man team or am I becoming paranoid?

Darren

Tags Alexis Chile Watford

14 Comments

  1. Most teams have one player they rely on to lift the team spirit on the field.
    Man U: Rooney
    Man City: Aguero
    Barca: Messi
    Bayern: Lewandowski
    Arsenal: Sanchez
    R. Madrid: Ronaldo

    Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a one man team. It means those players lifts team spirit.

    1. Yes, we will have far lesser chances to compete for the title without him around because there is no other player in the team with similar quality and STYLE of play close enough to his level to step in.

      Barca can lose Messi but still have Neymar.
      Man Utd can lose Rooney but still have Martial.
      Bayern can lose Lewandowski but still have Muller.
      Madrid can lose Ronaldo but still have Bale.
      The only question mark here is Man City. There is some gap between Aguero’s quality and Bony’s quality at the moment because Bony has not been playing enough minutes for a year now. But the Bony from 2014…yes he can step in for Aguero.

      We are not a one man team like you say but we are closer to a one man team than those teams you mentioned. Without Sanchez, it will take a lot to lift the spirit of the team because no one currently is close enough to his quality and style and the difficulty to win matches will amplify more than it does for those other teams without their star men at the moment.

  2. @Arsenal007 Right. Arsenal can play their game even if Alexis isn’t playing. Remember some part of last season, and the community shield against chesh*t? Arsenal just seem to play better when he’s on the pitch.

  3. We can play with 2 XI without him
    Coquelin..ramsey
    Ox………caz………ozil
    Walcott
    OR
    just change him with with the OX and move on
    (this is the team the that beaten chelsea in community shield)

  4. Sanchez missing for any amount of time would be a huge loss, but I wouldn’t say we’re a one man team though. Coquelin getting injured would be a bigger loss. Sanchez carried the team on his back last season, but despite performing heroics, the results and performances were still poor, and we were still awful in the big games. This all pretty much changed since Coquelin’s arrival, hence his huge importance.

    Can’t think who’d replace Sanchez if he were injured. List of midfielders and strikers postions: Walcott (RW/CF), Ox (RW), Ozil (CAM), Ramsey (CM), Rosicky (CAM), Santi (CM/CAM), Wilshere (CM), Arteta (CM), Flamini (CM), Campbell (RW/CF), Welbeck (RW/CF), Giroud (CF).

    If my memory serves me correctly, Welbeck was mostly used as a striker and right-winger, but I’m sure he has played before at left-wing for us and ManU. He’s the only realistic back-up to Sanchez I would say.

  5. Alexis gives the team that never say die drive that motivates the team, but we are not a one man team! Although alexis is the drive, we are not a one man team!

  6. Ox will fill in perfectly well. As it is he does not start , Ramsey on right. Alternative start giving Joel Campbell a run. Or put ballerin on the right wing and Debuchy at RB and start Ox on left.

  7. What a come down in level, Alexis for Joel Campbell.

    This is one of the problems. Not enough quality in depth.

    Personally, I think AW being in charge of every game will affect our ability to win things.

  8. It`s true to say Alexis is so far ahead of the rest losing him is like being down to ten men.
    However, he can`t play every game and, where`s there`s a choice he needs to be rested.
    There will be times when we will have no choice as he`s bound to pick up a knock somewhere along the line. So, I guess, Wenger will make hay while the sun shines, who can blame him?

  9. Tbh losing Santi, Coq, Cech or Alexis for any amount of time will cause loads of problems. We have a one great individual leader in Alexis by his work ethic and how to pick the team up with his magic on the field but we are defo not a one man team! One man did not rip utd apart 11 did!!

  10. We need 2 more quality players in our squad.Stop the LeCoq influence please. he’s normal DM and just doing a simple job of retrieving the ball from the opposition but he’s not close to the likes of GILBERTO or VIEIRA. he’s doing a decent job so far but If we have a player in DM on the mould of ( As one of the best central midfielders in Europe, Joao Moutinho is far too good to be playing for a team that will never challenge at home, let alone in Europe. The 28-year-old has spent two years on the principality and doesn’t look like leaving any time soon. ) or William Carvalho – Sporting Lisbon ( The explosive midfielder has already garnered widespread plaudits from across Europe and is regularly linked with a move to the continent’s elite clubs. A string of superb individual displays at this summer’s U21 European Championships has certainly helped his cause. A move is absolutely vital if he is going to become a world superstar.) comments taken from one of the best coaches in europe while asked what is needed for arsenal to be at the top of the EPL and challenging for better in UCL so ONE OF THOSE 2 in January PLUS THE BUNCH WE HAD I’m sure we will do better.leave it to your fair judgement fellow Gooners.

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