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Arsene Wenger: Why I dropped Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez against Liverpool
ARSENE WENGER has explained why he dropped Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal against Liverpool yesterday.
The best of Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez failed to make Arsenal’s starting XI yesterday at Anfield, and it was just the fifth time in his Gunners career that he began a Premier League game on the bench.
The decision backfired as Wenger’s men slumped to a 3-1 defeat.
Olivier Giroud found himself isolated in the first-half, as the north London outfit struggled to contain the Reds.
Sanchez was brought on at half-time, and while he set up a goal for Danny Welbeck, it proved to be a mere consolation.
Reflecting on his decision, Wenger said: “The thinking was that we had to go more direct and I wanted to play two players who are strong in the air, because we decided to go more direct.
Alexis Sanchez started on the bench against Liverpool
Arsene Wenger has stuck by his decision to drop Alexis Sanchez
Everybody will come to the same conclusion, but I’m strong enough to analyse the impact
“After that, to bring on Alexis in the second half. Of course, I believe in the second half it was easier for the strikers and you could see a different performance from Giroud and Welbeck because we dominated much more of the midfield.
“Everybody will come to the same conclusion, but I’m strong enough and lucid enough to analyse the impact.
“And I don’t deny that Alexis is a great player.
“I bought him and I always played him. This decision was not easy to make, but I have to stand up for it.”
The Gunners’ loss sees them slip out of the top four, while Liverpool are up to third, just a point behind Tottenham.