It was not quite as simple as a straight choice between Cesc Fàbregas and Alexis Sánchez – the curiously shady inferences that Arsène Wenger dangles about Fàbregas’s move to Chelsea do a fine job of obfuscating matters. But in the Arsenal manager’s mind, the situation last summer became crystal clear.
With around £35m reserved for a marquee signing, Wenger prioritised logic over sentiment. He could not afford two of the talents Barcelona were seeking to offload from their collection and Sánchez offered a dynamic Arsenal did not possess. In theory, they already had their Fàbregas-type in Mesut Özil, even if it required a substantial show of faith for Wenger to express that after an inhibited first season.
That decision is starting to bear fruit. It is reasonable to wonder if Chelsea might have garnered fewer points this season without the precision passing of Fàbregas. But as far as Wenger is concerned, the evolution of his team has taken a positive turn with the connection that has grown recently between Sánchez and Özil. It has been a key component of Arsenal’s recent sequence of nine Premier League wins and a run to the FA Cup final.
Before Fàbregas’s first return to the Emirates, Wenger declares himself “extremely happy” with the selection of Sánchez to upgrade his team’s attacking zest. “What you want when you invest so much money is getting paid back on that front,” said Wenger. “When I bought Sánchez I thought he can play on the right, on the left, through the middle. First, that was an important quality. Second, I wanted someone who has a fighting spirit in the Premier League. That was needed – someone to say: ‘Come on, I’m ready for a fight.’ Third, a guy with a good combination of running in behind who can dribble as well. On all of that, I was not disappointed.”
With 22 goals and 11 assists, Sánchez has been both brilliant and efficient.
After a mid-season dip (by his energetic standards) his increased levels have coincided with Özil enjoying his best spell in an Arsenal shirt. The developing rapport between Wenger’s two record signings is notable. They connected for both goals in the FA Cup semi-final last Saturday, as Sánchez burst on to passes from Özil. It took a few months for them to properly gel. Özil suffered from post-World Cup fatigue and a three-month injury leading up to January, and Sánchez had his driest spell in front of goal in the few weeks that followed.
But Wenger is very encouraged by the understanding they are generating – for next season as much as this. “People questioned Ozil,” said Wenger. “In the first part of the season Özil wasn’t there. In the second part of the season Özil has blossomed and is getting to where you want him to be. He is a player that is the centre of our game and also makes other people play. The real players are those who take the qualities of their partners – Özil is one like that. He is naturally generous.”
That was always a trait that embroiders Fàbregas’s game, and Wenger’s patience in Özil’s ability to express himself for Arsenal is being repaid. His slow-burning season has warmed up considerably. “When you have to spend £35m to £40m for a position where you already have players, you have to question what is the logic,” Wenger said. Although he was also quick to namecheck Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey for that attacking midfield role to back up his decision not to pursue a reunion with Fàbregas, the main man in that position is clearly Özil now.
With Chelsea notoriously tricky to break down of late, Wenger is hoping the click in Arsenal’s attack can make the difference.
