Arsenal And Alexis Sanchez: Snake Or Saviour?

After Arsenal’s loss to West Brom, Stan Collymore accused Alexis Sanchez of being a snake. Should the Chilean be considered snake or saviour?

Arsenal were an utter shambles in their loss to West Brom on Saturday. Failing to be attentive from set pieces, an aspect of the game that Tony Pulis’ side excel at; aimless when in possession; and lethargic in their play, the Gunners were lacking in every area of the game.

Arsene Wenger has rightly been heavily criticised in the aftermath of the result, such that the ever-growing majority of the fanbase calling for his sacking are only becoming more vociferous and more influential.

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It was not only the future of Wenger, though, that has been the subect of debate since the 3-1 loss. Alexis Sanchez’s future beyond the end of the season has been a doubt for some time. After Saturday’s display in which he was again visibly frustrated with the performance of many of his teammates, pundit Stan Collymore, speaking on BT Sport, stated that he believes the Chilean is a snake, only bettering his individual circumstances, rather than pursuing the interests of the team:

"“When things don’t go his way, he throws his arms in the air and is more than happy for others to carry the can. His performance, despite scoring, was that of a man who looks happy to let the spotlight shine on (Arsene) Wenger rather than helping his team to win a game. I honestly was undecided as to whether Alexis was a great pro getting frustrated or a bit of a snake just doing enough for himself but letting his manager down. I’m leaning towards the latter.”"

They are somewhat explosive comments from the former Liverpool forward and it leads to ask the very simple question: Is Sanchez the snake that Collymore claims him to be or is the he saviour of the Gunners, bringing a much-needed desperation to win and urgency to succeed?

What cannot be doubted is that Sanchez does react to when he feels his teammates make mistakes. However, whether such reactions are positive to the prospects of the team; that they galvanise through critique, or whether they simply, as Colymore believes, undermine the collective spirit of the dressing room remains to be seen.

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I am undecided on the matter. I do believe that Arsenal are lacking in the mental department and that they are in need of players who boast the winning attitude that title-winning sides embody. And yet, there is clear friction between Sanchez and his teammates and ultimately, the team must come for. But does that still apply when the team in underperforming?

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