Arsenal were handed a defeat this afternoon as they visited Bournemouth without their most priced forward, Alexis Sanchez.
Arsenal on Sunday went to Bournemouth without their most valuable player, Alexis Sanchez and predictably came back to London empty handed.
The Londoners fell 1-2 to Bournemouth, continuing a run of bad results and now find themselves stuck on the sixth position, six points adrift from Liverpool, who lie 4th, with a match to play with the leaders, Manchester City later today.
Hector Bellerin assisted by Alex Iwobi opened scoring for Arsenal in the 52nd minute. Bournemouth neutralized the visitors advantage in the 70th minute and four minutes after scored the winning goal. Arsenal which had 55 per cent possession could not convert their chances, thus worsening Arsenal’s season.
Sanchez was omitted from Arsenal’s squad as speculation mounts over a January transfer to Manchester United or Manchester City.
Sanchez, 29, did not even travel to the south coast for the lunchtime kick-off, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitting he was left at home over his unresolved future.
The Chile international has refused to sign a new Arsenal contract with his current deal expiring in the summer, and United and City are reportedly both keen on recruiting him this month.
Wenger, whose side are sixth in the Premier League table, confirmed before kick-off at Dean Court that he remained unsure on Sanchez’s future.
“He’s being vague, we have left him at home because of the situation,” Wenger told Sky Sports.
“I still don’t know what is going to happen.”
Wenger admitted on Friday that Sanchez would not be signing a new deal, paving the way for him to leave the club in the current transfer window, adding that a bidding war could help Arsenal.
Jose Mourinho labelled him a “phenomenal player” at his press conference later that day but both the United boss and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola were tight-lipped about a potential move for the forward.
Guardiola’s bid to buy Sanchez collapsed at the end of the summer transfer window and City were favourites to land him this time around but the club are apparently unwilling to meet Arsenal’s reported £35 million ($48 million, 39 million euros) asking price.