Arsenal fans cringed in front of their television sets as they saw Alexis Sanchez’s superbly taken free-kick hit the bar crossbar last night against Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers. Chile finally lost to Argentina by a goal and one can only feel sorry for Sanchez at the moment. Both Arsenal and Chile looks like a one-man army of late, and nothing seems to go his way.
Sanchez’s facial expression and frustrated body language after the final whistle pretty much indicate the mindset with which the player approaches every game. And this could be a sigh of relief for Arsenal fans as it’s clear now that Sanchez’s frustration doesn’t come from manager’s ineptness or his unsettled life in London, but rather from the club’s temporary patchy run.
And if Wenger is to be believed that the club would be resuming contract talks with the player once the season gets over, then it could be safely assumed that if Arsenal manages to finish their campaign on a positive note, which is a top four berth and winning the FA Cup title, they can possibly retain their best player for the next few seasons.
There is no doubt that Arsenal fans love Alexis Sanchez and his dogs, Atom and Humber, and they might even go to the extent of babysitting them when Sanchez is on club duties; but putting up banners does little to help it.
Arsenal’s unique bad form in their last 21 years originate from the unique dilemma they are facing for the first time in the same period. One cannot deny the fact that one of the main reasons why Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Granit Xhaka and many others chose Arsenal over other sides, is Arsene Wenger. And whether they are happy with the manager’s playing setup or not, they are all entitled to know the future of him at the club.
It was the exact same thing echoed by Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi in his recent interview after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Senegal. He stated, “…Honestly, I’m waiting as much as you guys are. I don’t know exactly what’s going on…. No matter who is on the job, or who gets the role, we’re always going to fight for the manager…”
We think the matter is not as much as Sanchez agreeing on his weekly wages, as it is knowing the future of the club that is the crux of the matter. Barcelona had an identical problem one month back when the club was going through a dark phase. But since it was clarified that Luis Enrique won’t remain at the helm next season, the team has changed brilliantly.
Arsenal, we think, have recognised the problem and an announcement on that front is coming soon. And after that happens, we hope the Gunners get back to winning ways.
