Arsenal: Arsene Wenger Must Incur The Wrath Of Alexis Sanchez

Arsene Wenger should incur the wrath of Alexis Sanchez by resting him for Arsenal’s FA Cup tie with Southampton at the weekend.

After the dramatic win over Burnley on Sunday, combined with dropped points for Spurs, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs, left Arsenal in second position, eight points off the lead and the closest challengers to the supremacy of Chelsea so far this season, dreams of a title have reignited.

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Arsene Wenger now has the ‘moment of truth’, as he himself ascribed the upcoming period, to navigate. Most specifically, in the coming weeks, the Gunners host Watford next Tuesday in the Premier League and then travel to the league leaders Chelsea.

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The trip to Stamford Bridge will go a long way in determining whether the closing stages of the year are even mildly competitive. If the Blues win, they will move eleven points clear of Wenger’s side and will have, barring a travesty, all but won the league by that point.

Arsenal, then, must head across London with the best chance of winning the match. That means, before then, difficult decisions must be made, starting with Alexis Sanchez. The FA Cup resumes this weekend and Wenger has enjoyed success in the competition in recent years, winning two of the last three. However, although a trip to South coast to face Southampton is no easy task, it is still not a game in which the very best players need be risked.

Reports state that Wenger is considering incurring the wrath of Sanchez, a wrath that is invigorated when he is prevented from playing, as evidenced by his sulk in the win over Swansea when he was withdrawn with a little over ten minutes remaining and the game wrapped up, and dropping the Chilean from the squad altogether for the fourth round tie.

Although it would be a move that would certainly upset Sanchez, it is still a sensible decision. With the title still a viable possibility as we enter the latter half of the year, protecting Sanchez, keeping him fresh for the whole year, even if that means preventing him from playing and angering him, is of the utmost importance.

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Moreover, with Chelsea just a week after the Southampton tie, being able to give Sanchez some time of rest ahead of such a crucial fixture is even more beneficial for Arsenal. Sanchez may not like it but Wenger must incur his wrath for the better of the team.