Arsenal: Robert Pires Perfectly Undermines Alexis Sanchez And Mesut Ozil

Robert Pires has highlighted Arsenal key missing piece, perfectly undermining the importance and the influence of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

The futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have been lingering narratives clouding Arsenal’s turbulent season. Like an unwanted smell pervading the air, the contract controversy of the two has dominated the atmosphere surrounding the club.

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And after a disastrous run of form in which the club has won just three of its last nine games, two of which came against non-league opposition, seen their Premier League hopes scuppered, their chances of continuing their astounding 20-year top four run deplete, and suffer a humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich once again, the prevailing thought regarding Ozil and Sanchez is that the two will indeed leave in the summer.

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That, for the most part, is seen as a dastardly turn of events for the club. Ozil and Sanchez are considered key members of the playing squad, essential to furthering the success of the team. However, what if that was not quite as a true as everyone first thought. Here is former Gooner Robert Pires discussing the prospects of Arsenal without Ozil and Sanchez, where he reveals who he believes is the true linchpin of the first team:

"“When you see the names on the paper they are great players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. The most important [thing] is missing Santi Cazorla. He is one of the best players at Arsenal. He’s been injured for four months now and this is a real problem for Arsenal.”"

Pires highlights the importance of Santi Cazorla. It is certainly a figure that is often forgotten among North London circles, not for his anonymity when on the pitch, but simply because injuries scupper his ability to be a prominent figure at the club. However, while the wondrous talents of Ozil and Sanchez are undeniable, it has been without Cazorla where Arsenal’s struggles have reached their peak.

It was late October when Cazorla played his last game this season. At that time, since August, with him in the side, the team maintained a win percentage of 65.55%. Contrast that to a lowly 41.1% without him in the lineup. Similarly, as of March 8th, since his signing in the summer of 2014, with Sanchez in the side, Arsenal boasted a win percentage of 55.8%. Without him, that figure was up at 71.4%.

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Now, those stats do not mean that the Gunners are better off without Sanchez and Ozil. However, it does challenge the notion that they are essential to the future of the club. As Pires rightly points out, that pleasure could well fall on the rather slight, but nonetheless commanding, shoulders of one Santi Cazorla.