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Arsene Wenger has insisted that Alexis Sanchez has not asked to leave Arsenal this summer and reiterated his belief that the Chilean will stay at the Emirates for at least one more year.
Sanchez is in the last 12 months of his contract with the Gunners and has spoken of his desire to play in the Champions League, suggesting he is seeking a move away from the club.
However, Wenger has previously dismissed the idea of Sanchez leaving as “media imagination” amid reports that both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were interested in the player.
Show all 23 1 /23Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Petr Cech - 8 out of 10 Needed to be at his commanding best against the attacking wonders of Bayern, and certainly was. Saved well from Thiago on 10 minutes and carried on from there, showing a reassuring confidence from crosses. In particular a late save from Lewandowski seemed to have saved Arsenal from disappointment.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Hector Bellerin - 5 out of 10 After the unpleasant grilling he was given by Douglas Costa it is worth reminding ourselves this is a player with less than a year of first-team football to his name. And it showed, as time and again he struggled to come up with anything that could stop his opponent.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Per Mertesacker- 7 out of 10 The centre-back was at the heart of the action throughout, and had to be at his reliable best as cross after cross came towards his head. Happily for Arsene Wenger he was, clearing with whatever part of his body he had to.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Laurent Koscileny - 6 out of 10 A rather quieter night for the other centre-back, in part aided by the consistent performances of the pair around him. But yet again Koscielny scarcely put a foot wrong, and kept a careful eye on Lewandowski.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Nacho Monreal - 8 out of 10 So often tagged with the term reliable this was far more than that from the left-back. His positioning was first-rate and it spoke volumes of his performance that Muller enjoyed long periods of near anonymity.
2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Francis Coquelin - 6 out of 10 The centre-back was at the heart of the action throughout, and had to be at his reliable best as cross after cross came towards his head. Happily for Arsene Wenger he was, clearing with whatever part of his body he had to.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Santi Cazorla - 6 out of 10 Arsenal’s gameplan necessitated that their deep-lying playmaker play at his best to instigate passing movements. Too often he did not. At half-time he had twice given the ball away loosely in his own half. It was less of a problem in the second half but this was not vintage Cazorla.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Aaron Ramsey - 6 out of 10 A strong defensive shift from the Welshman, who tucked in well on the regular occasions when Arsenal were out of possession. This was not his usual attacking performance, but he was a vital component until picking up a hamstring injury on the hour mark.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Alexis Sanchez - 8 out of 10 Another excellent performance from Sanchez, who made as great a player as Philipp Lahm look supremely average. Wherever, whenever he just ran at defenders, creating opportunities aplenty in the process. On the rare occasions when he did give away the ball he simply turned around and won it back.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Mesut Ozil - 7 out of 10 Ozil’s revival continues, even if he was not quite able to provide a telling touch to the game. Unlike his colleagues his passing on the counter was accurate, though his eagerness to drift into space too often left him unable to get where the action was.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 6 out of 10 Kept Bernat plenty busy after his introduction, providing direct running at a time when Arsenal were running short on ideas.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Olivier Giroud - 7 out of 10 One clear-cut chance, one goal. It may not be the most beautiful of finishes, but it was by some distance his most important in an Arsenal shirt. As his colleagues looked to stem back the tide his ability to hold the ball up was vital.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Manuel Neuer - 5 out of 10 For 75 minutes he reminded us why he was the best keeper in the world. Then he looked like David Ospina. Saved well from Ozil early on but the diving stop from Walcott’s close range header will live long in the memory. Not as long as his blunder for Giroud’s goal though.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Jerome Boateng - 6 out of 10 The criticism of Boateng has often been that he is prone to falling asleep. And there were certainly times when he allowed himself, and Walcott, to drift away. Looked more composed in the second half, stepping forward well to cut out attacks.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Philipp Lahm - 5 out of 10 Having spent many recent games in midfield he often struggled with the pace and aggression of Sanchez, lacking the yard of pace that made him such a dangerous right back previously.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings David Alaba - 7 out of 10 At the home of Arsenal this man put in a performance Tony Adams would have been proud of. His reading of the oppositions attacks was outstanding, he was often the last-man between Theo Walcott and Manuel Neuer.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Juan Bernat - 6 out of 10 Arsenal focused their attack on the Bayern right, leaving Bernat with a quiet shift defensively. He did all that could be asked of him at the back and was scarcely needed going forward as Douglas Costa ran riot.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Xabi Alonso - 6 out of 10 Like Alaba he played a key role in stemming Arsenal’s counter-attacking sallies, in particular blocking off passing avenues for Arsenal’s deep midfielders to release their attackers on a regular basis.
2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Thiago - 6 out of 10 The most influential of Bayern’s midfielders in the early stages, he brought impressive verticality to the play, linking well with both Muller and Costa. His passing was unerringly accurate, but he was never able to play the crucial final pass.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Arturo Vidal - 5 out of 10 One of the few players in the game to have what appeared to be a genuine off-night, he simply could not get on the ball often enough to influence the game. He particularly struggled to find space from which to drive forward and it was little surprise he made way first.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Diego Costa - 8 out of 10 A sheer joy to watch, with the pace and trickery to make Hector Bellerin look ordinary for the first time in a long while. His flicks , tricks and dribbling will remain the highlight of the night for anyone at the Emirates, has a new star been born?
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Thomas Muller - 6 out of 10 The Emirates did not see much of Muller at his best as he sat wide on the right in what was a relatively unremarkable 4-3-3 from Guardiola. Did not drift into space as we know he can, though much of was down to the close coverage he received from Monreal.
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Arsenal vs Bayern Munich player ratings Robert Lewandowski - 6 out of 10 Well marshalled by Mertesacker and Koscielny, but on the rare occasion she could get on the ball he reminded us why he is Europe’s most fearsome striker, forcing several good diving saves from Cech.
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Arsenal have already spent big in the transfer window this summer with their club-record move for Alexandre Lacazette and Wenger insisted that they do not need to sell their best players to offset the money spent already as they look to build a team strong enough to return to the Champions League.
“Has he asked to leave? No,” Wenger said.“My mind has been made up for a while now. I think I've made it clear a few times that he is not for sale and this is my stance.
“There's always something that comes in. If it's not Sanchez then it's me, but I think Sanchez has got one year to go and we have no need to make money.
“He will be part of the team next year and after that I can understand it. But you don't want to write that but that's a version I can give you.
“We are in a strong financial situation so we want to keep our best players.
Show all 12 1 /12How could Arsenal line up this season? How could Arsenal line up this season? How could Arsenal line up next season? How could Arsenal line up next season?
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How could Arsenal line up this season? GK: Petr Cech Cech may have been dropped for the FA Cup final, but the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to lose his Premier League place anytime soon. The goalkeeper will turn 36 next season and yet he remains one of Arsenal’s best players.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? WB: Hector Bellerin Struggled for form towards the end of last season but still one of the best full-backs in the country. Offers pace and power down the wing.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Shkodran Mustafi The German defender enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the club. Still only 25 and will improve next season, with a year of English football already under his belt.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Laurent Koscielny His poor discipline cost Arsenal in a couple of vital games, but he remains an important, influential player. There have been rumours Marseille have made Koscielny their top transfer target this summer, but it is highly unlikely Arsenal will sell.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CB: Rob Holding After impressing with his maturity and composure in a back-three last season, there's every chance Arsene Wenger could place his faith in the youngster once again for the new campaign.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? WB: Sead Kolasinac Arsenal’s first signing of the summer. A versatile 23-year-old defender, Kolasinac plays predominantly at left-back but expect Wenger to have him push on.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CDM: Granit Xhaka Attracted a lot of criticism for his displays last season, but grew in confidence throughout the campaign and has the talent to become a vital player for Arsenal over the coming seasons. A superb distributor of the ball.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CM: Santi Cazorla One of Arsenal's most technically-gifted players and the glue that keeps the side's midfield together. Doubts over his fitness and whether he's got another season left in him, but should he be firing on all cylinders Wenger will want to make full use of him.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? LCM: Mesut Ozil Still negotiating a contract extension with the club. His performance levels dipped alarmingly last season, but when he is in form, he remains one of the finest passers of the ball in the world.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? RCM: Riyad Mahrez Mahrez recently announced his intentions to leave Leicester this summer and Wenger refused to rule out a move for the Premier League champion. Mahrez would bring real flair to Arsenal's side, as well as the ability to make something out of nothing.
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How could Arsenal line up this season? CF: Alexandre Lacazette The instinctive centre-forward that Arsenal have longed for ever since Robin van Persie's departure. Industrious and physical, he'll bring a tough edge to Arsenal's front line.
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“You can see there is a fight everywhere to get top players. Man United, Manchester City, all the big clubs. All the clubs have big money.”
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