Arsenal's Draw at Manchester City Shows Why They Simply Must Keep Alexis Sanchez

 Although Gunners fans are understandably frustrated about being asked to welcome a third-placed finish, they must recognise that participation in Europe's elite competition is essential to retain their biggest stars.

In the Premier League, few come players come with bigger billing thanAlexis Sanchez, and events at the Etihad Stadium demonstrated whyArsene Wenger must fight tooth and claw to hang on to him.

That might not be easy. Alexis has two years remaining on his contract, but there has been little positive news about a forthcoming extension. On May 6, Matt Law of the Telegraph reported on possible problems between the player and Wenger. After Alexis was unhappy about being withdrawn as a substitute against Norwich, Law wrote:

Sánchez's feelings boiled over last week in the victory over Norwich, when he was replaced by Francis Coquelin in the 84th minute. The Daily Telegraph can now reveal Sánchez not only headed straight down the tunnel without acknowledging Wenger, but then stormed out of the stadium. ...

Wenger tried to gloss over the Chile international's reaction, insisting he was simply demonstrating his desire to play. But, privately, the Frenchman is understood to be unimpressed. The atmosphere between them is believed to have been frosty in training this week.

It's easy to see how Alexis might become frustrated. If you had to describe his c-haracter, "winner" is one of the first words that would spring to mind. He became accustomed to success with Barcelona and recently led Chile to a historic Copa America triumph. Having won the FA Cup in his first season with Arsenal, he would have expected to challenge seriously for more silverware this year. Instead, the Gunners have been also-rans.

If they're to be contenders next year, they need Alexis in their XI. That much was evident f-rom the way he crafted an equaliser against City. An expert one-two with an impressive Olivier Giroud was tucked away with the confidence of a player who has found his goalscoring form again.

The strike was Alexis' 17th of the season—given that he missed around three months with injury, it's an impressive tally. He hasn't performed to the level he managed in his first year in north London, but his contribution remains vital.

 

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Other than Alexis' moment of inspiration, there wasn't too much f-rom this performance that Arsenal fans would want to see carried over into next season. Giroud scored his first league goal since January, but doubts persist about his viability as Arsenal's first-choice centre-forward. The defence looked panicked in possession, perhaps because Aaron Ramsey and Mohamed Elneny didn't do enough to protect them. Even Petr Cech, usually so reliable, looked vulnerable.

This was a good result but not a particularly convincing performance. However, the value of a player like Alexis is that he can provide something special even when the team fails to click. When Arsenal were trailing City, they needed someone with the guile and the gumption to produce a chance f-rom nothing. Alexis, with the help ofGiroud's delicate flick, did just that.

It's for that reason that it's essential Wenger overcomes any differences with the player and ties him down for the long term.