Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's Blushes Saved By Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal were set up terribly against Paris Saint-Germain, repeatedly ripped apart. Arsene Wenger’s blushes were saved by Alexis Sanchez’s late equaliser.
Before Tuesday night’s game with Paris Saint-Germain, almost every right-minded Arsenal fan would have accepted a point. After a 90 turbulent and tumultuous minutes, a point is exactly what they got. However, that is not, for the most part, thanks to the mind of their manager.
Early in the game, Arsenal’s setup was evidently worrying. In fact, it wasn’t even early in the game. It was before the game even started. As soon as the team sheet was anounced, there were prevalent feelings of fear and disbelief, a mixture of anger and apprehension at what was to come. The first 45 minutes did nothing to settle such worries.
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The first half was a disaster for the Gunners. The side looked devoid of structure and instruction, lacking in the simplest of areas such as positioning with and without the ball. PSG pressed the ball well, it must be said, but Alexis Sanchez was far too isolated and Mesut Ozil was not able to get in the game simply because the rest of the midfield could not get and keep the ball.
Much of the blame for the poor performance must be laid at the doorstep of Arsene Wenger. For a man who is supposedly so intelligent and analytical, he made some truly mind-boggling decisions in his side’s setup. The most difficult to understand was by far his use of Sanchez though.
Against a side as talented as PSG there is nothing wrong about playing on the counter attack as Wenger intended. However, to do so, the team must have a threat in behind, primarily a centre-forward who is not looking to drop deep and receive the ball to feet, but is playing on the shoulder and running the channels. Jamie Vardy, if you will.
Therefore, while Sanchez has the pace to threaten in behind, he far prefers and is far more inclined to drop deep, spin and then drive at defenders, rather than making runs off the ball. Playing him as the central striker simply doesn’t make sense in a counter attacking system. When Olivier Giroud came on, Sanchez was moved wide where he has far more freedom to roam and collect the ball and Arsenal as a whole, looked a far more dangerous side.
A draw is a fantastic result. Nonetheless, it was Alexis Sanchez and his scuffed right foot finish that rescued Arsenal on Tuesday night, not the tactical astuteness of their manager.
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