LONDONERS IN NO-WIN SITUATION
While Arsene Wenger insisted all's well in the Arsenal camp on Monday, the current turn of events suggest it's far from a happy home at the moment. With the Gunners facing Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, HT looks at the troubles they are facing:
THE SANCHEZ ISSUE
While Wenger first stated that the reason to bench Alexis Sanchez against Liverpool was a tactical one, reports in British media suggest it was because of a training ground bust-up in the build-up to the match. According to the Daily Telegraph, the Chilean forward walked out during a training session and was later confronted by teammates on their return to the changing room and one of them had to be held back as tempers flared. Wenger, though, termed the news as ‘completely false’.
HUGE TASK
The unsavoury incident couldn’t have come at a worse time for Arsenal, who will try to overturn a huge first-leg deficit when they host Bayern on Tuesday.
They have been knocked out of round of 16 on last six occasions and are staring at the same fate unless they turn it around with a superlative effort. But that seems unlikely given their recent run.
DOUBTS OVER WENGER’S FUTURE
‘Wenger Out’ banners have been unfurled more often this season than the previous ones. The 67-year-old is basing his decision to sign a new deal on whether he feels he can still get the best out of his players. According to reports, Arsenal have already started to plan for life after Wenger and numerous names have been thrown around as possible replacements. Among the ones that will excite the fans are Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.