Alexis Sanchez in Arsenal row

An exuberant Liverpool side proved to be too much for Arsenal in their English Premier League encounter late on Saturday, beating the Gunners 3-1 thanks to goals from Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Giorgino Wijnaldum, climbing to third spot in the table in the process. He cited the 1-0 victory over Manchester City on New Year’s Eve and the draw at Sunderland three days later.

Despite the media criticising Wenger for dropping Sanchez, sources claim that the players back the Frenchman’s decision to banish Sanchez to the bench following the bust-up.

From the pundits to fans, all expected Arsenal to be the second best in the absence of Sanchez in the first half against an attack-minded Liverpool. If there was ever a time for Wenger to win back a chunk of the fan base, it would be at Anfield after losing the opening match of the season against Liveprool at the Emirates.

“We can not use the first Arsenal game because it’s really a lot of water under the bridge”. Yet even in the depths of that February 2014 defeat, we witnessed Jack Wilshere snapping at the Liverpool midfield like his life depended upon it. We analyzed it and that wasn’t enjoyable. “We have an opportunity against Bayern after that to show we can cause them problems”.

Whereas Liverpool have taken 19 points from a possible 27 against other top-six teams they have struggled against those in lower positions, as the defeats by Burnley and Leicester indicate.

Sanchez, whose future is in doubt due as he is in the last 18 months of his contract, was left out of the team to face Liverpool with Arsene Wenger telling reporters that he wanted to use Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck to play a more direct game.

Wenger described his decision to drop the league’s leading marksman Sanchez as “debatable”.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc saved a penalty kick in the 72nd from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The north London club are already heading for the exit door in the Champions League.

It takes something very special to knock 1989’s title decider into second place but a decade later, Anfield hosted a quite remarkable ninety minutes complete with two last gasp strikes and a four-goal hero. Things were easier in the second half. “My intention was not to injure him but to protect myself”, he said.

“But there was a point in the week that we had to finish with the Leicester game”.

“Who can I blame?” Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances.

“Maybe a few people will say it’s a little bit like the season all in one game”.