Daily Express

Wenger is keeping faith with Sanchez

- Nick Szczepanik

ARSENAL SWANSEA

ARSENE WENGER did not even realise that it was his 800th Premier League game until he saw the informatio­n on a TV screen at the Emirates Stadium before he took his place in the dugout.

That does not mean he is getting forgetful – just that his focus remains on getting the best from his players.

Alexis Sanchez, for example, is still nowhere near his best after a summer spent at the Confederat­ions Cup and coming close to joining Manchester City.

City are expected to renew their interest but Wenger is sure that Sanchez will be in the right frame of mind to face possible future employers on Sunday.

“I am not concerned,” he said. “I am not suspicious of the desire to win of a football player. When you’re a football player, you have a social contract with the rest of the team. I never question that.”

Wenger is convinced that Sanchez will soon come through his dip in form.

“He works hard and it will come back,” he said. “At the moment he’s marked well, but he still creates dangerous situations and he just has not to worry too much.”

Another man short of goals is Tammy Abraham, on loan at Swansea from Chelsea. His pass created Sam Clucas’s goal but he is finding chances hard to come by.

His frustratio­n was clear when Jordan Ayew failed to set him up for a tap-in that would have made it 2-0 before Arsenal turned the match around with goals from Sead Kolasinac and Aaron Ramsey.

But Swansea manager Paul Clement insists that Abraham will benefit from this season.

“Not only will he learn things tactically, about the physicalit­y of the Premier League, he’s going to learn a lot mentally as he’s not at a top-six club where you have more of the ball,” he said.

ARSENAL (3-4-3): Goals: NEXT UP: SWANSEA (3-5-2): Goal:

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SANCHEZ: Dip in form
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