In the period up to the opening goal, Alexis Sanchez was guilty of squandering possession at least three times in areas where you feel he can do better.
Then, collected Mesut Ozil’s flick, he produced a sublime piece of football, leaving defenders going the wrong way before slotting home his 25th goal of the season (read the report and watch the goals here).
He wasn’t worried about what had gone wrong, simply focused on making something happen and that sums up the Chilean, according to Arsene Wenger.
“I think the goal that he has scored tonight showed what he is about,” said the manager after the game.
“Very good technique in a short space, he scores important goals. And with very short technique he has invention in his head.
“He’s creative because he’s not fazed by anything and he’s surprised everybody in the stadium tonight by what he did.
“They expected him to take a shot and he is very quick, so overall he has done extremely well.”
Wenger also had some words of praise for Olivier Giroud who came off the bench and scored his 6th goal of the season as a substitute.
“I would say as well, Giroud came on and again the second goal was a very important goal for us tonight.”
A couple more like Alexis who are not fazed by ocassions and ongoings and we can challenge for the league. We always complained that we are short of those couple of men. This season showed us that it’s not the dog that were missing but the fight in the dog. Good players around the squad. Very few game changers.
A couple more like alexis and our team will not function properly at all. As much as his goal changed game. Maybe the game would have already changed if he didnt lose the ball so much and play like a child who didnt get the toy he wantes im the supermarket.
I keep hearing and reading about how much he loses the ball. Yes, it’s true that he does. But recently the team’s tactics has been pass it around more or less aimlessly and eventually give it to Alexis for him to produce some magic. If he did what everyone else did we would really struggle to create any decent chances all game. If someone else stepped up and took some responsibility off him instead of keeping up their pass completion percentages I am sure he would force things a lot less. Xhaka and Ox are possibly the only two who… Read more »
Just hope the club can get him to sign a new contract! Such an important player for us. We have to keep our best players!!!
Sometimes I think I am a little bit in love with him
Haha I know the feeling!
Lets just fill the team with a few more south Americans and africans, they seem more hungry, determined and ambitious. Our current team is full of pampered self righteous weaklings, apart from Xhaka, Ox, Kos and maybe Coq none of our players are actually tough
I doubt we’ll see many Africans in the team as long as they continue holding the ACN every 2 years during an important part of our season. We can’t afford to lose players at that time of the season on such a regular basis. So we’re only likely to see one or two exceptional players from that part of the world until ACN make changes.
Totally understand what you’re saying about the ACN, but that tournament doesn’t need to make changes. It’s held during that part of the year for well-established reasons.
Non-African players also miss weeks and months of the season due to injuries from playing in their own internationals. Singling out the ACN as a reason not to look at the next generation of African talent like Jean Michael Seri, Naby Keita, Balde Diao, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Franck Kessie would be a big mistake by the club.
have to say if wenger is going to buy another midfielder like he does most seasons i wish he’d buy jean micheal seri or naby keita , both of them look mighty impressive.
It does need to make changes. Either move it to every 4 years (like most other major tournaments) or change the time it’s held (which is pretty impossible, so option 1 then).
No player tries to get injured but with poor luck it happens occasionally, whereas the ACN happens every 2 years and luck has nothing to do with it.
We’ve got Nwakali and Iwobi, who are both very talented, so I’m sure the club will look at more but they’ll have to be exceptional to overcome the ACN anchor around their necks…
Leaving aside how ugly your anchor around the neck metaphor is, the main hurdle for African players to feature in Europe are work permit regulations. If British regulations for talented non-EU internationals were eased, that might be an incentive to hold the tournament less frequently. However, since 2015 the regulations have been tightened. Why should the ACN be held less frequently so that players are more attractive to Premier League clubs, when playing fewer international games now makes it even harder to qualify for a work permit? There’s a reason why many African (and South American) players in the Premier… Read more »
The ACN was OK every 2 years whilst it was trying to improve the quality of African players/teams but now they’re established as a strong continent for quality football it doesn’t need to be every 2 years. It’s just a money raising tournament for the ACN authorities. As for work permits, some countries are still very flexible whilst the UK has tightened up but it’s still possible to bring in talented players. The issue is why do PL teams want to jump through hoops to get a work permit for any player that isn’t a top talent. The end result… Read more »
If the ACN’s just a money-raising tournament I’d be delighted to hear you describe the new 48-team World Cup.
The question isn’t why should the Premier League jump through hoops, it’s why should 50+ African nations jump through hoops for a single European country?
Despite the complexity of the problem, you’re still wrongly assuming only one side needs to compromise. Thankfully for African players world football doesn’t revolve around the Premier League.
The 48 team WC is 100% a money raising tournament until the last 8. No doubt about that… and that’s every 4 years outside the European season. As for one single European country, you’ll find less ACN players in all the top teams in the bigger leagues. A player has to be more than outstanding for a club to pay top dollar whilst knowing the player will probably be away for a month plus during their season every 2 years. If you think the players aim to be playing for the mid-lower teams then you’re mistaken. There should be more… Read more »
As I’ve already tried to explain, it’s misguided to look at this as a PL vs ACN issue when it’s an issue of co-operation between European nations and African continental associations. The majority of Europe-based African players competing in the ACN play for French or Spanish sides. France and Spain both have winter breaks. Prior to 1994, the ACN was held in March in the coolest period before the rainy season. Guess what – European clubs and the ACN were able to agree to move the tournament to January when they’d be on their winter breaks because of better co-operation… Read more »
It’s so obvious Andy doesn’t know much about Africa. ACN players as you call them have had to play in other Leagues; Spanish La liga for example because of how difficult it is to get a work permit. Just like Kaius said, Africans can’t bend for the PL when they can play elsewhere.
Obviously Kaius made some solid points but I get Andy is just trying to be sentimental.
We need strong, physical and hungry players in the team. Fighters. I’m not sure that’s too much to ask from our Americans.
Elneny, too.
Yes, Elneny was to some degree a proven player in European football..
A quick look at the top 4 teams in this years ACN.
Over 80 players in the squads.
Less than 20 of them play top level football.
Less than a handful play with top clubs.
The players are better than that.
The ACN anchor around their necks drags them down to lower teams who are prepared to gamble on them in the hope their ACN players can get them above mid-table in the time that they’re actually with the clubs…
The anchor around the neck analogy makes more sense now because it’s pure projection. Top clubs around Europe aren’t falling over themselves to sign English national team players either. Where did England’s no.1 end up when he left Man City? The wrong half of Turin.
Clearly the ACN’s driving that problem too.
Two different problems.
The main one being that England don’t have enough quality players, but they also don’t need to move to another country to play in the top league (even if there aren’t many of them worthy of a Top Club)..
You’re comparing the players of one country against the players from one continent… When England get in the top 3 of the Euros (If ever!) then see what percentage of the team plays for top clubs. Probably a lot higher than the poor ACN teams players.
You keep proving my point by insisting English players don’t need to move to play for top clubs. Similarly, African players can play top-level European football on the continent without moving to England. It’s probably a good idea the ACN doesn’t change to make their players more attractive to English clubs, because it’s hard enough for English kids to break through as it is. The money and prizes at stake mean the present environment is already too competitive. At the end of the day African countries, like England have their traditions that they’re entitled to stick to. Continental Europe has… Read more »
But even on the continent (Europe) there are much less than there should be in top clubs…
It’s not just the EFL that has a problem with ACN. Maybe you prefer ACN players to stay in Africa and play in their big leagues… like… umm Egypt????
Or are you expecting them to go to China for the money instead of the quality of the game?
Haha as if Temuri Ketsbaia and Paulo Wanchope came to England for the weather and fine cuisine. China is only doing what the Premier League did back when Italy was top dog – throw big money at marquee footballers. There’s already a bunch of African and Brazilian players working in China so your last question is puzzling.
Tried my best to explain the issues around the ACN. Can’t say you’ve engaged with any points I’ve made but at least I enjoyed your Little England-flavoured banter. Have a good one mate.
Sorry but you haven’t made any worthwhile points at all and you’ve completely ignored half my points. Ketsbaia and Wanchope came to clubs which paid them well in a competitive league. It was nowhere near as competitive as it is now but it wasn’t ‘china football level’. And yes I’m aware that many players from Brazil and Africa have moved to China for the money, the same way they went to eastern European/Asian clubs when they suddenly started paying big money. But make no mistake, they moved purely for money. When players from Sth America and Africa go to top… Read more »
Let’s hope he’s not fazed by putting pen to paper over the summer.
If he does decide to go (gulp!). Would Mahrez be the best option to replace him?
Is there anyone who can replace him?And thanks wenger for stating the obvious and what we all know.
I think there are probably more options than you think. Except for scoring goals, his alround play had been piss poor in the second half of his season. Giroud has also scored equally important goals in the first half of the season.
He even sealed the deal against southampton. Alexis Sanchez is accountable for the dip in form as much as the next man.
Everyone going on about Alexis…but that goal from Giroud as mentioned was so important.
Welbeck pottered around for half the game or more without end product.
As mentioned countless times, there SHOULD BE NO plan B.
It all depends who is most efficient in front of goal and the kind of opposition set up we face.