Arsene Wenger’s decision to drop Alexis Sanchez to the bench in a crucial league game against Liverpool on Saturday backfired as Arsenal lost 3-1 to Liverpool.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal’s long serving boss Arsene Wenger have both seen promising title challenges turn to dust making Saturday’s match between their clubs potentially crucial to hopes of securing a Champions League spot.
Alexis Sanchez is odds-against to stay at Arsenal beyond the next transfer window amid reports of a training ground bust-up. It was like Arsenal were digging their own grave when they let Liverpool have possession during the start. Mesut Ozil certainly has not been but Arsenal’s other resident superstar definitely will not feature in the rematch.
He has resolved to look for a new club this summer and the club are aware of his intentions.
One way to save that might be to just announce his retirement from the club at the end of the season.
“It is not about money – we can go for the players we want – but at the very top level you might be competing with Barcelona or someone”, he said.
“We played really good, created wonderful chances and scored only two times, and could have scored more in the first half”. “That is the focus, to come back to our strength”.
Third-placed Manchester City, who are a point behind Spurs, should pick up another three points when they travel to bottom side Sunderland also on Sunday.
With this win, it is now fair to say that Liverpool mean business whenever they lock horns against the top teams in the Premier League.
With a view to the visit of Arsenal, Liverpools ability to turn up for the bigger games does not augur well, and after a string of disappointing results, the law of averages suggests Klopps side are due a win. We lost at Chelsea. “We will try hard and do everything for it and today we showed our nicest face again against a strong opponent”.
We haven’t competed in a lot of games.
■ Premier League team of the week: Who joins Harry Kane in the best XI? “It’s not always going up”. When the week starts after Leicester everybody was angry, then we produce this performance against Arsenal. It’s not usual to come back like this. Yet, we know they are capable of changing their approach.
Faced with the daunting task of trying to overturn a 5-1 deficit against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 second leg, Wenger knows the critics will be sharpening their knives again on Tuesday and he can’t expect any sympathy after this weird selection gamble.
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Whether he will be restored to the first team for Tuesday’s reverse leg remains to be seen, as the Gunners will surely require a miracle in order to overturn the deficit and make their way through to the next round.
