It wasn’t Alexis Sanchez’s finest hour.
Arsenal had their moments on Sunday but were ultimately outclassed by a rampaging Manchester City side who are going to take some catching in the title race this season.
Sanchez is prone to letting frustrations get the best of him and that’s exactly what happened towards the latter stages of the Gunners’ defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Chile international was booked with 15 minutes remaining and his constant remonstrating with the referee summed up the feeling in the visitors’ camp.
In the first half alone, Sanchez lost possession a grand total of 15 times and, with City interested in bringing the forward to the Etihad on the cheap in January, fans were even more frustrated with his shortcomings.
Alexis Sanchez may as well be wearing a blue shirt. That is disgraceful.
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) November 5, 2017
Sanchez’s vision is superb. He’s managing to find a City player 2 months in advance
— Paul Webster (@blindcobbler) November 5, 2017
Guardiola made an attempt to sign Sanchez, who is in the final year of his contract with Arsenal, towards the end of the summer transfer window but a bid of £55m plus £5m in add-ons was ultimately not good enough as Arsene Wenger had failed to bring in Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as a replacement.
The City boss is expected to return for the 28-year-old after Christmas and will get him for significantly less if he chooses to do so.
“He’s an Arsenal player. His manager had to speak to him,” Guardiola said of Sanchez prior to Sunday’s clash. “You know the situation – before the transfer window was open, and now it is closed.
“He’s an Arsenal player and is so important for them, for his talent that he has, you have to try and control him.”
Guardiola is right in that Sanchez is an Arsenal player, for now.
But the player did himself no favours with his current fans by immediately approaching the City dugout on the full-time whistle of the defeat to offer hugs to the likes of Mikel Arteta.
Big hug between Arteta and Sanchez as the Arsenal man heads for the changing room. pic.twitter.com/7jCvbPyToA
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 5, 2017
It did *not* go down well.
It appears that they will have plenty of time to hug when Alexis leaves.
— Peter Bellas (@PeterBellas) November 5, 2017
Hugging his soon to be team mates. That’s nice.
— Justin (@juzz_18) November 5, 2017
The only thing that could make this any worse is Pep hugging Sanchez at full time. Absolutely nailed on
— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) November 5, 2017
— Gopinath Mpg (@Mpgcristo) November 5, 2017
See u in january and thnks bro
He must av said— Uzo™‼ (@OnwukweU) November 5, 2017
His new team mates soon
— Taz (@tal_shaki) November 5, 2017
