After the debacle at Anfield at the weekend, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have a huge task on their hands if they are to rescue the sinking ship that has been their Champions League journey this season.
Having put in a an atrocious performance that saw them lose 5-1 to Bayern at Anfield in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie in the Champions League, Arsenal welcome Bayern to the second leg of the tie at the Emirates, needing 5 unanswered goals to progress into the next round.
As if that was not enough of a mountain to climb, the chemistry in the squad has recently taken a big hit.
The manager decided to drop star winger Alexis Sanchez to the bench in the game against Liverpool at Anfield and though it initially looked like Wenger wanted the Chilean to be fit for the game against Bayern, it was later revealed that he was involved in an altercation with the manager that saw his dropped.
According to reports on Sunday, Alexis Sanchez walked out of the training ground before the Liverpool game and angered Arsene Wenger with his attitude.
This has raised doubts about the winger’s chances of playing in this game against Bayern as well.
Arsene Wenger however, was quick to decline any rift with the player and maintained that it was a tactical switch that saw Sanchez dropped in the last game.
“I am not aware. Nothing happened. Nothing at all,” he said. “I explained after the game at Liverpool that I decided to go for a more direct option in the game.
“That was the unique reason for my decision. All the rest, his attitude – he’s a committed player and sometimes has excessive behaviours but you have that many times in the history of every squad.
“[I have a] honest and normal [relationship with Sánchez]. Like with every single player.”
The Arsenal fans will be happy to hear this from the manager but the player himself is not keeping quite.
He took to social media site Instagram to vent his feelings.
After the loss to Arsenal where he was benched, Sanchez went on to post a quote from GK Chesterton which read: “The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him. Let go Gunners. The only failure is not trying.”
Here is the post:
It is a cryptic message with the true meaning hidden only with the player but at the moment, Sanchez is extensively linked with a move to Juventus and it increasingly is looking like the Italian giants might get their man this summer.
Do you think Alexis Sanchez will quit Arsenal at the end of the season?