Is Wenger right to give Alexis a telling off?
Alexis may have put in a fantastic shift in the Gunners 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Gunner’s latest Premier League fixture, but the Chilean may have been in trouble with the boss during the week, after breaking one of the club’s rules.
It has been revealed that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reportedly spoken to Alexis Sanchez about the player’s decision to take the ball off Santi Cazorla in last weekend’s victory against Hull for the penalty. Alexis decided to take the penalty rather than Cazorla, in a decision that surprised the players, the manager and the fans. Alexis missed the spot kick, frustrating many at a time where the game wasn’t completely under our control. The miss meant that Alexis has now missed both his spot kicks for Arsenal, whilst Walcott also missed a penalty at the start of the season. It’s meant that Arsenal haven’t had the best of luck with scoring penalties this season and so the question was raised about why our first choice penalty taker, isn’t actually taking all the pens. Santi Cazorla is proven to be clinical from the spot and so it is understood that when the Spaniard is on the pitch, he is first and foremost to step up to the task.
Now had Alexis Sanchez scored, I’m sure there would have been no qualms raised about this incident at all. However because the 27 year old missed, fingers are pointed and questions are raised to ask why the Chilean took the penalty instead of the regular Santi Cazorla, given that the Spanish midfielder was present on the pitch. Wenger’s only real opportunity to respond therefore seems to have been by having a quiet word off the pitch with Alexis, in that he shouldn’t go against the team’s original tactics and plans, in which Cazorla is likely to have been listed as the team’s number one penalty taker.
I’m sure this isn’t going to be something that is raised again, given that Alexis is too busy repaying the boss by scoring his third goal in the last two Premier League games, however it’s right that he should know not to go against Arsene Wenger’s instructions.
BY AH