Ian Wright has said that Arsene Wenger made a mistake not leaving Alexis Sanchez out of the matchday squad against Liverpool in March.

Back in March, Arsenal suffered a 3-1 defeat at Anfield after a horrendous performance. That game was infamous not just for the poor showing from the players but because of the controversy surrounding Alexis Sanchez at the time.

It was revealed before kick-off that Alexis had been dropped from the starting eleven due to disciplinary reasons, despite being Arsenal’s best performing player at the time.

When we were 2-0 down at half-time, Wenger threw Alexis on and our performance improved. He was never dropped again after that. It was at that moment that Ian Wright feels Arsene Wenger made a big mistake.

“The problem Arsene Wenger’s had is the Liverpool game,” Wright said, reports the Metro. “He dropped him. Now if you’re going to drop him leave him at home. He didn’t do that and by doing that he’s handed the power to Sanchez simply because he still took him.

“Arsenal played poorly. The only time they looked like they were going to do something was when Sanchez came on. The fans were singing for him, he came on and did brilliantly and then all of a sudden the power was with him.”

Wenger’s attempts to discipline Alexis did end up him being undermined by the team’s dependence on the Chilean. Alexis went into this summer in a very strong position, knowing that Arsenal needed him more than he needed us.

He could either try and get an enormous pay rise, or simply wait for another big club to come along and sign him. If reports are to be believed, he’s done both ahead of the new season.

It is worth pointing out, however, that Alexis’ stature at the club would have been at its highest even if Wenger had left him out entirely against Liverpool. A player that scores 30 goals in a season will always be in a strong position, regardless of the circumstances.