Saturday’s draw with Tottenham will do nothing to quell the frustration of Arsenal supporters who remain adamant that Arsene Wenger committed an unforgivable error in not securing a top defensive midfielder in the summer. Mathieu Flamini’s error was what directly caused Nacer Chadli’s opener, but the exclusion of Arsenal’s most expensive signing of the summer is the bigger-picture question we’ll all be asking going forward.
I see Arsene Wenger’s reasoning behind keeping Alexis on the bench. Naturally, a player which such inventiveness and pace would be the ultimate substitute. His inclusion for the final third of the match saw a change in directness and quality from Arsenal, while every decision has it’s reasoning that may not meet the eye.
It is important to understand who Alexis is as a footballer. Always second-tune to Lionel Messi and company at Barcelona, Alexis’ direct style of play and individuality are what saw him become surplus to requirements a the Nou Camp. He gives the ball away more than one would fancy, but that’s the element of risk in putting him in.
James McNicholas put it best today in labeling Alexis as a ‘soloist,’ which sums up his body of work on the pitch. Alexis loves to square up to goal with the ball at his feet and take defenders on fearlessly. At Barcelona, they prefer the free-flowing style of tiki-taka, so giving the ball to Alexis didn’t necessarily bode well for their run of play.
At Arsenal, Alexis is more of a focal point on the field than he was with Barcelona, so the risk in putting him in is only magnified. As opposed to Danny Welbeck, Alexis is prone to giving the ball away. Welbeck was included in the side not just for his impact on the score sheet against Aston Villa, but also for his outstanding ball-retention and passing skills.
On the other hand, taking a step back from the situation and looking at the bigger picture really makes one wonder how on earth he wasn’t included. As an opposing manager, it has to be a welcome sight to see Alexis start on the bench; that in itself could warrant the Chileans inclusion in almost every big match.
Rumblings out of Arsenal’s London Colney training ground suggested Alexis has the stamina and ambition of a six year old chugging green tea. Two days after playing 90 minutes against Southampton, Alexis had to be told by several of the Arsenal players to ‘take it easy’ on what was supposed to be his second day of recovery.
The eagerness and desire is there with the Chilean; that is something no one will ever doubt, so why not include him in a game of this magnitude? Of all the things that have gone wrong for Arsenal this season so far, Alexis has been the biggest bright spot.
Finally, a summer which saw Arsene Wenger fail to address the squad’s biggest need makes it hard to warrant the exclusion of the 35 million pound man. ‘As long as the club isn’t going to spend money on the right players, why not play the ones they actually spent on?’ is a question many Gooners will be asking themselves after Saturday.
Perhaps Alexis was a little too psyched up, or there’s something we don’t know about. Regardless, it’s inexplicable for a player of his quality and energy to not be included in a game which calls for both in bulk
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