Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey both miss Arsenal’s trip to Watford
Mesut Ozil on the bench as Arsene Wenger leaves Sanchez and Ramsey behind following World Cup upsets
ALEXIS SANCHEZ, Mesut Ozil and Aaran Ramsey were all missing from the Arsenal starting line-up at Watford.
Sanchez was rested after his World Cup qualifying exertions with Chile, so Alexandre Lacazette led the line with support from Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi.
Ramsey, too, played no part in the Premier League showdown.
Like Sanchez, he suffered World disappointment with Wales in midweek when they failed to beat the Repulic of Ireland.
Ozil, though, was named on the bench along with Jack Wilshere and Olivier Giroud.
Boss Arsene Wenger clearly felt the failure of Wales and Chile to qualify for Russia has had a negative effect on Ramsey and Sanchez.
He said of Sanchez on Friday: “He is in a very difficult mindset.
“Sanchez is 29 at the end of the year, so the next one [World Cup] he will be 33. He expected to go. It’s certainly a big disappointment for him.
“I have no doubt that he wants to perform. He never goes on the football pitch to lose a football game, never. Sanchez is a winner type.
“I watched the game with Brazil, what a physical game it was. He played against Dani Alves, that was a real battle, believe me.
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"It’s worse to watch.
“You want your players to be in a positive mind, and as well to have positive experiences."
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Line-ups:
WATFORD (3-4-3): Gomes, Kabasele, Mariappa, Britos; Femenia, Doucoure, Cleverley, Holebas; Pererya, Gray, Richarlison
SUBS: Karnezis, Wague, Janmaat, Watson, Capoue, Carrillo, Deeney.
ARSENAL (3-4-3): Cech; Koscielny, Mertesascker, Monreal; Bellerin, Elneny, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Iwobi, Lacazette, Welbeck.
SUBS: Ospina, Holding, Coquelin, Wilshere, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud.
REF: Neil Swarbrick
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