Sports / Soccer
Sanchez going nowhere
07 Jan 2017 at 08:00hrs | Views
Alexis Sanchez ©arsenal.com
LONDON - Arsene Wenger will not tell Alexis Sanchez to curb his emotions as he rubbished reports the unsettled Arsenal striker is set to leave the English Premiership soccer club.Sanchez refused to join team-mates in celebrating Tuesday night's 3-3 draw with Bournemouth, despite sparking their amazing recovery from 3-0 down in the final 20 minutes.
The Chilean vented his frustration during the game before hurling his gloves to the floor in frustration at the final whistle. Following this public display of anger, it is believed he later gave his team-mates the cold shoulder in the dressing room.
It will hardly help Arsenal's bid to tie down Sanchez to a new deal with the South American currently locked in a contract stand-off. Asked if he was happy to see his tantrum, Wenger said: "Of course. We wanted to win the game and when you don't win you're not happy. It's normal.
"He can have sometimes emotional reactions but face to face he is always very respectful. Everybody has his way. I don't look too much how people talk. I look at how much they want to win.
"They (his team-mates) care as much as he does, don't worry. The players are frustrated. There was no celebration in the dressing room. Everybody was disappointed that they didn't win the game.
"There is no hierarchy of intensity of desire to win at that level. Everybody wants to win."
Sanchez's body language was an alarming sight to Arsenal supporters but Wenger now plans to rest him for tonight's (7:30pm) FA Cup third-round tie at Preston.
Wenger added: "He wants always to play. On one side when I don't play him, people say, 'Why don't you play him'? And on the other hand I'm criticised for using him too much. But I always planned in my head, no matter what happens, in January he will need a breather.
"What we forget is they go away on international games they travel to Chile. Then they play sometimes 2 000 miles away, they travel back and then they come here and play the next day again. They are human beings.
"You have to give them a breather at some stage. Mentally and physically because at the moment he is a bit jaded. You could see that he is tired."
Wenger will now leave Sanchez fuming again this weekend – by dropping him for Danny Welbeck's comeback in the FA Cup. The Gunners boss wants to recall his England striker, who trained alongside four-time Olympic gold medallist champion and newly knighted Mo Farah on Thursday, after nine months out with a knee injury.
"Welbeck could be (in line to play at Preston) – it depends on how he feels," Wenger said.
Wenger says the FA Cup remains "a big priority" for Arsenal despite his side already waging two-pronged assaults on the English Premier League and Champions League soccer titles.
The Chilean vented his frustration during the game before hurling his gloves to the floor in frustration at the final whistle. Following this public display of anger, it is believed he later gave his team-mates the cold shoulder in the dressing room.
It will hardly help Arsenal's bid to tie down Sanchez to a new deal with the South American currently locked in a contract stand-off. Asked if he was happy to see his tantrum, Wenger said: "Of course. We wanted to win the game and when you don't win you're not happy. It's normal.
"He can have sometimes emotional reactions but face to face he is always very respectful. Everybody has his way. I don't look too much how people talk. I look at how much they want to win.
"They (his team-mates) care as much as he does, don't worry. The players are frustrated. There was no celebration in the dressing room. Everybody was disappointed that they didn't win the game.
"There is no hierarchy of intensity of desire to win at that level. Everybody wants to win."
Wenger added: "He wants always to play. On one side when I don't play him, people say, 'Why don't you play him'? And on the other hand I'm criticised for using him too much. But I always planned in my head, no matter what happens, in January he will need a breather.
"What we forget is they go away on international games they travel to Chile. Then they play sometimes 2 000 miles away, they travel back and then they come here and play the next day again. They are human beings.
"You have to give them a breather at some stage. Mentally and physically because at the moment he is a bit jaded. You could see that he is tired."
Wenger will now leave Sanchez fuming again this weekend – by dropping him for Danny Welbeck's comeback in the FA Cup. The Gunners boss wants to recall his England striker, who trained alongside four-time Olympic gold medallist champion and newly knighted Mo Farah on Thursday, after nine months out with a knee injury.
"Welbeck could be (in line to play at Preston) – it depends on how he feels," Wenger said.
Wenger says the FA Cup remains "a big priority" for Arsenal despite his side already waging two-pronged assaults on the English Premier League and Champions League soccer titles.
Source - AFP
