Arsenal boss backs Sanchez to perform against Manchester City

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed Alexis Sanchez to perform at his best against Manchester City this weekend despite failing to secure a move to Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer. 

City agreed a £60m deal with Arsenal for Sanchez’s signature on the final day of the transfer window only for the deal to collapse after Wenger’s side failed to sign a replacement in time. 

Guardiola is expected to rekindle his interest in Sanchez in January when the Chile international will only have six months to run on his current deal, but Wenger believes Sanchez will put that all to one side when the two sides face off on Sunday.  

"I have no concerns because I’m not suspicious about performances or the desire to win of a football player,” Sky Sports quote Wenger as saying.  

“When you are a football player you have a social contract with the rest of the team and I never question that. Once you don’t respect that, it is difficult to say that you play football.” 

“I think he is coming back stronger physically. He runs after goals at the moment so he is a bit frustrated when he doesn’t score like all the goalscorers.  

“I’m not worried about it, he works hard and it will come back. You never try too hard. I think at the moment he is marked well but he still creates many dangerous situations and he just has to not worry too much.  

“You say that to all the strikers and they still worry but over longer periods he has always scored goals so that will come back.” 

Sanchez has only found the back of the net on one occasion in seven Premier League appearances so far this season, but he does have a solid record against City, which Wenger will hope he can continue this weekend. 

The 28-year-old has only finished on the losing side once in nine previous meetings and has scored three goals in that time.  

However, Arsenal will have to turn in their best performance of the season to thwart the City juggernaut of Sunday. Guardiola’s side are currently six points clear at the top of the Premier League and have won nine of their opening 10 matches.  

Of all goalscorers in the Premier League this season, Sanchez has the worst conversion rate (0.4%).