Former Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins is the latest pundit to have a pop at Arsene Wenger for his team selection against Manchester City on Sunday.
Just like pretty much everyone else on the planet except Wenger, Wilkins is wondering why on earth Alexandre Lacazette started on the bench for the big game at the Etihad.
“Personally I would say yes (he got it wrong) but Arsene Wenger knows his players far better than I do,” Wilkins said on Sky Sports.
“Lacazette, for example, you buy him for, I don’t know what it was, £55million for the big games.
“When he brought him on, he scores, because he is a goalscorer, but all of a sudden, he’s on the bench. I don’t quite understand.
“When you’re going to Manchester City, it’s proven that to actually get a point, you need to score a goal.
“They score so many goals, especially at home, so you need one to actually get a point.
“Therefore, you’re leaving £55million on the bench, (Olivier) Giroud’s also on the bench, so you’re limiting your chances of getting that point before you even kick off.
“Do you put City under pressure?
“I would say yes, go for City, make it uncomfortable, for City.”
Instead of Arsenal’s club record signing, Wenger started Alexis Sanchez, who put in a horrible performance against the team he was heavily linked with a move to all summer.
The Chilean was dispossessed seven times, which is only one less than the rest of the Arsenal team put together, and only had one shot, which wasn’t even on target.
What’s more, the forward has only scored once in the Premier League this season (two assists) and, before that, had only played twice as a striker: Liverpool away, in which he was terrible, and Chelsea away, in which he only played for 24 minutes. The rest of the time, he’s played either as a left winger or beside Mesut Ozil as an attacking midfielder. It was a big gamble for Wenger and it didn’t pay off.
Meanwhile, Lacazette had scored five goals in 10 appearances and after 10 minutes of being on the pitch against City, he’d netted his sixth.