Arsene Wenger gives litany of reasons for dropping Alexis Sanchez in Arsenal's EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Chelsea

Arsene Wenger insisted that his surprising decision to bench Alexis Sanchez at Chelsea on Wednesday night “had nothing to do” with negotiations with Manchester City for his imminent transfer.

Sanchez came on halfway through the second half – a decision that was booed by the travelling Arsenal fans – but Wenger defended the decision to drop him, giving a succession of different reasons. First Wenger said it was nothing to do with City, then he said he did not need to explain it, then he suggested he was just giving his star man a “breather” after playing so many games. He ended by saying that whatever was going on with contracts and transfers, he trusts Sanchez to continue to give his best.

Naturally the decision to bench Arsenal’s best player, especially with Mesut Ozil injured, raised eyebrows, not least in the week when City re-opened negotiations over a deal for a player desperate to move to the Etihad Stadium. Wenger has been reluctant to discuss the possible move for Sanchez and said in his post-match press conference: “The team selection had nothing to do with the transfer market.”

But when he was pressed about why he made the decision, Wenger said that he was not obliged to explain himself. “I have not to justify every decision I make, you know,” he said. “I made over 1000 games, and over 1000 teams and I got it every time wrong. But I have to make a decision.”

The Sanchez questioning continued and while Wenger said that he would like the Chilean to stay beyond this month, he said he was still committed to the cause. “I want him to stay for longer because he’s a very important player for us,” Wenger said. “When he came on tonight, you could see that he created straight away danger.” Then Wenger offered another new excuse for his curious team selection. “We have to accept as well when you play so many games and Sanchez plays every game that sometimes a breather in the middle of the season helps a little bit.”

Ultimately Wenger was left defending the commitment of a player whose commitment has certainly not been clear recently. “People don’t know well Alexis Sanchez,” he said. “This is a guy who is completely focussed to play football. You see how he warmed up and how he came on? Like a player who wants to play football.”

Wenger said that Sanchez, despite all the criticism and negative attention, could focus on football through all of this. “He can make a difference between what’s going on outside and what’s going on on the football pitch. We live with facts, not with psychological theories and the fact is when you turn out on the pitch you play football and you give 100 per cent. That’s what he does.”