Arsenal fans lost it after discovering Alexis Sanchez was dropped against Liverpool

Wenger chose to leave joint top scorer in the league Alexis Sanchez on the bench to start the game, but as the Gunners were behind 2-0 at halftime after goals by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane for the home side, Sanchez came on to play the second half.

Wenger however maintained that the omission was a tactical decision.

But it was too late to stop the Gunners from slipping to their third Premier League defeat in four matches.

It would be a cruel, and slightly ironic, end to his reign should this come to past – given over the last 10 years his reputation has been built around such remarkable consistency in qualifying for the Champions League.

Arsenal lost to Liverpool 3-1 Saturday at Anfield, the first time it has been defeated by Liverpool twice in a season in 17 years.

There is no mention in any of the reports as to whether or not Sanchez could be joining a Premier League rival.

“He is a sought-after player and if I’m sitting in the dressing room like Alexis Sanchez today, his agent his probably making phone calls now!” Only Juventus failing to win by three or more at home to Empoli let us down, as achingly they came out 2-0 winners!

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have famously been in protracted talks for their new contracts.

In the day’s best match, Nathan Redmond struck twice and Manolo Gabbiadini scored a sixth goal in four games as Southampton edged Watford 4-3 at Vicarage Road.

“And then if you asked me on Friday, (I would have said) “yes we can”. The important thing in a development is that you take the information you get, work with it.

However, speaking to BT Sport, Wenger highlighted his team’s lack of influence in the midfield as another reason for the poor first half – not the ex-Barcelona man’s exclusion. What was good in the second half was our collective performance.

The Daily Mirror claim that Wenger’s “patience finally snapped” with the forward, whose performances and attitude in training has been called into question ever since the 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

Liverpool, top of the league briefly in November, will start the weekend in fifth place, and could be sixth by kick-off, as Manchester United will move above them by beating Bournemouth in Saturday’s early game.