Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey has something Alexis never will

Arsenal witnessed perhaps the worst performance in Alexis Sanchez history, but it was a keen reminder of how important Aaron Ramsey is, and what he has.

Arsenal’s impotence in the attack was the most shocking part of their loss to Manchester City. While I expected the midfield to go to the Citizens, it was a balanced fight. While I expected our defense to get tossed around, they really didn’t. At least not as bad as you’d have thought.

Where the true fault came was in the attack. Arsene Wenger made the atrocious decision to sit Alexandre Lacazette and let Alexis Sanchez play as the No. 9, which he has proven time and again massively ineffective at.

Well, he proved it again. And in the process, he frustrated the hell out of everyone, Aaron Ramsey included.

Alexis was terrible. I still can’t stop staring at the eleven possession losses, and that’s not even including the poor passing. He was terrible, and he was offside far too often as well. It couldn’t have been much worse.

Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsey was a controlled force. He was the most effective player on the day, his assist was brilliant, and his feud with Alexis has me wondering if Alexis simply takes his frustrations at his own ineffectiveness out on the only other guy on the club that was trying to make thing happen – and remotely succeeding.

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In the process, I realized what it is that Ramsey has that Alexis will never have – control. Alexis has a dark streak in him where, when things aren’t going right, he will continue to drill himself into the ground time and again, trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

Ramsey has stopped doing that. Ramsey has what I like to call cruise control. When his effectiveness isn’t there, which happens on occasion, his impact is limited and he doesn’t become a liability.

Alexis doesn’t have that, nor will he ever. It’s not in his nature. He’s a determined individual, but that comes back to haunt him when that determination is hitting a brick wall. I would say he has to learn how to tone it down a notch and mitigate his own damage, but let’s be honest, Alexis isn’t changing himself for the club.

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Ramsey did. And is. And it’s effective and he’s effective. It’s a nice thing to see, someone who is willing to do that.

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