Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has continued to express fears over the fitness of Alexis Sanchez after the Chile global played 82 minutes of the Champions League win over Bayern Munich at The Emirates Stadium.
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Having opened their European campaign with consecutive defeats to Dynamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, the Gunners returned to form with a 2-0 victory over an in-form Bayern side courtesy of second-half goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil.
“You play against the best in the Champions League, Bayern are a top, top class team, but we showed our class”, said the England worldwide. Neuer hooked the ball away, but only after it had crossed the line and the goal was confirmed by the fifth official.
The full-back came through the gruelling assignment of marking the dazzling Douglas Costa to set-up Ozil’s stoppage-time goal and Wenger was impressed with what he saw. “The two games with Chile, the traveling plus Watford, plus Bayern it is too much”. “They had more possession but we had the clearer chances and that’s why we’re really pleased to have got the three points”.
Two late goals secured Arsenal their first win in the Champions League this season and kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the last 16. He gives us a different option when it does not work on the ground he gives us options in the air and both Walcott and Giroud I like. Within the context of Premier League champions Chelsea’s poor start to the season, a goalless draw in the Ukraine can be considered a positive result and Jose Mourinho’s side certainly did enough to earn all three points.
“However we have still got a lot to do (to qualify) and won’t get ahead of ourselves because our focus now is on the Premier League”.
When asked whether resting Cech and playing David Ospina was still a decision he regretted, Wenger said: “I expected this question in the press conference”. I have already spoken about that.
“He (Cech) was important”. “It was just one of those days when we just had to be patient”. There were a few areas where we weren’t today.
“The team focus and the dynamic was there in the preparation and we have had that for a while now”, said Wenger. “I don’t think Bayern were ready for that type of player to come on, they were all geared up to play against pace”.
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Arsenal’s opener in the 77th minute, coming just after Lewandowski was denied by a brilliant block by Laurent Koscielny, arrived following a rare error by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer.
