Arsene Wenger has revealed that he only made the decision to start Alexis Sanchez at 4pm yesterday, believing that once he crossed the white line the thigh problem he picked up at Stoke wouldn’t be an issue.
As it turned out, the manager was proved right after the Chilean scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.
He got on the end of Mesut Ozil’s lovely cushioned pass to open the scoring, and was there to knock home the rebound after Olivier Giroud’s hooked effort had been palmed away Jordan Pickford.
Speaking afterwards, Wenger said, “With him, I feel he had something still left, but once he’s on the pitch and gets the ball, he always becomes a devil and forgets his pain.”
And with his contract heading towards its final year, Wenger reminded the top scorer of how Arsenal has been good for him since he joined in 2014.
“Nobody questions his desire and his quality,” he said. “It shows as well that if you look at his numbers, he has developed here as a player and has become a top-class player and has not wasted his time here.
“Hopefully that will last for a long time.”
Alexis on 23 and Lukaku on 24, the golden boot contenders go head to head on the final day. Can this devil bring home the prize?
Too right we must keep Sanchez, it’s Wenger we need to sell on and bring in a younger manager in the ilk of Allegri or Simeone both of whom have passion and don
How can anyone downvote this?!? Wenger is not the way forward. How quickly the apologists forget. 10-2 anyone???
Hes off!
If he does leave you couldn’t blame him. The team is often as flat as the atmosphere at the Emirates.
all thumbs down would be from regular’s at emirates but u guys are so dull and the only time emirates is noisy is when we misplace a pass….seriously we should start whistling when opponents have the ball
His world class potential has really blossomed here more than anywhere else he’s been.
You only asscess development of a player by him winning major trophies ….what has he won here? No EPL no Champions league thus why he won’t sign that contract unless wengers mentality becomes a wining one
I think you assess team development by looking at major trophies won. I think individual development is not quite so simple to judge. Looking at goals scores and assists this season compared to all that have come before it seems fair to say that Alexis has developed into a player with more end product. Put into the context of an Arsenal team far far from its best and he has been sensational.
By your assessment I guess vardy is world class then
Stay at Arsenal and become a legend! Leave to another ‘big club’ and just be another player. Everyone loves you here!
He’ll be a god, not a devil, if he keeps on going like he is for the next few years.
Sign dat ting!
The ongoing opportunity to be at the absolute center of play should be a strong reason for Alexis to stay. Give him the concrete promise of a couple of attackers with the class/technical ability to further enhance his game and lets go win a pile of trophies together.
Him and Ozil are the major reason why we are below par this season. Ozil will not give through ball to any player except if the player is Sanchez. Sanchez will rather dribble to no end or shoot anyhow except if Ozil is available. Their team mate work for them, but these guys underrate their honest contribution. Both of them scored and assist in arsenal more than elsewhere. So if you feel they are the world class we have, arsenal is the reason where they are where they are. Let them go and ask fabregas, Hleb, Song etc. We need… Read more »
i do agree with what this guy wants to say….sanchez is a match winner no doubt but he feels as if ozil is only at his level and constanly moans when other player xcept ozil hinders his play even a little bit..i for one absolutely want ozil to stay and extend his contract but with sanchez i am not so sure…i saw arsenal style tikki-takka when he gets subbed off…
Dr Whale, you’re definitely a Nigerian.
My first thought exactly
lol. Is it because of my poor construction of English? Not my mothers tongue. Or is it because of my last sentence?
At no other top club will he be ever granted freedom he has at Arsenal and that is essential for him.
Stay Alexis and earn yourself a statue at the Emirates!
I hope Alexis stays but I can’t see it. He is not has good as Henry was but we need a player like him that has passion for the game and the ability to do things on a pitch.
We really don’t have to sell him. I don’t understand any logic behind selling him. Put aside the fan backlash (yes AW is likely staying for 2 more years), we will get 30/35 million tops for a player in the last year of their contract. It will cost double (maybe triple) that to get a player anywhere near his quality. Make him see out his contract and try and persuade him to sign a new one by making signings and competing next seasons ffs.
So you would forfeit 30/35 million that could be invested in a replacement? Another way to look at it…you’d be paying around 40 mil to keep him for one more season. I am struggling to see the financial logic in that approach. Arsenal and AW are nothing if not financially logical. Pay him what he wants or he’s a goner this summer, simple as that.
should have said ‘pay him what he’s worth’
https://mobile.twitter.com/SpecialKav/status/864563313342021632
Someone needs to exorcise this out of his game then
I think his 28 goals and 19 assists are a reasonable compromise
So, the Guardian is reporting that Wilf Zaha is getting a new 110K/wk deal with Palace. If true then surely Alexis is worth 300K/wk. The numbers are staggering but what can you do? If we want top top players, we’re going to have to offer top top wages. But I suspect that Wenger feels strongly that no player should earn more than him.
It may be my imagination but I am sure I have seen Sanchez tap the badge and make a pointing motion as if to say he is staying here? But we know Arsenal need to make a soap opera out of transfers and contract renewals. Sanchez has to be honest with himself, he is extremely wasteful on the ball but has a moment of brilliance and the ugliness is forgotten, that may be ok for Arsenal but for teams a level above us Sanchez would be looking at the bench at best, Barcelona has taught him that. So his options… Read more »
Hypothetical scenario: Bayern needs to replace the ageing Robben (33) and Ribery (34). Alexis is in his prime and could replace either one easily.
If you were Alexis, instead of a life-long Arsenal fan, would you go? My own answer scares me..