Arsenal: Dropping Alexis Sanchez The Ultimate Act Of Ineptitude

Arsenal ran out a starting XI that was devoid of the best player in England. And Wenger sited tactical purposes. This is the ultimate white towel.

Many Gooners, myself included, have been begging Arsene Wenger to make changes to Arsenal’s starting XI. It just hasn’t been working. Not at all. He continues to send out the same inept players over and over and, go figure, it isn’t working out.

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Well, Wenger made changes going into Anfield, in a must-win game. Although they weren’t the changes we envisioned. Rather than replace the two men most deserving of being replaced – Alex Iwobi and Francis Coquelin – Wenger instead replaced the one man who should never be replaced – Alexis Sanchez.

There is no other way to look at this than a multi-faceted white towel. I say multi-faceted because not only does benching Alexis rob you of your primary, and sometimes only, weapon against a team that has been spot-on against top-six opposition, but it also sends a message to where this team is headed. And it’s not up.

And there’s even more to this white towel than that. Alexis Sanchez should play as many games as possible because he has the engine to do so. Plus he is the only Gunner deserving to do so.

There will be no concessions about why Alexis was actually dropped, but most people’s initial reaction can’t be that far off – Alexis may be out the door already.

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There is no other explanation to it, and this is Wenger throwing in the towel in the Alexis contract chase as well. Alexis freaks out any time he is sat, but to be sat in a game such as this when a bid from Juventus was just reported? That’s a bit too much. I don’t believe in coincidences. At least not that many at once.

Not much can be said about it. Wenger sent out a team that was never going to win. And by doing that, he conceded this side’s spot in the top four, robbed them of whatever remaining spirit they had (hint: not much) and gave even more fuel to Alexis’s frustrations.

It only made it worse that when he finally sent on Alexis at half, everything was different. The entire feel of the game was revolutionized and it was all because of Alexis.

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But yes, keep telling us about how this was a tactical change. Even worse, defend yourself and your choice to bench the best player you’ve had in a decade.