Arsenal round-up: Wenger discusses pressure; Sanchez future latest; Oxlade-Chamberlain contract talks

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It has been a difficult season for Arsenal and their manager Arsene Wenger has admitted the pressure has been intense this year. They face an uphill battle to secure a top-four finish as they are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City. The Frenchman has come under scrutiny from the media and his own supporters continue to campaign for his departure. The following quotes from the manager were reported by Sky Sports:

“The pressure has been very intense. Pressure comes from the team not delivering results I expected, then it’s the pressure from the environment, and most of the times in our careers the two combine together and make it very intense.”

The last few weeks have been hard for the Arsenal players as they have been forced to cope with a poisonous atmosphere. Although they managed to deliver a good performance against Manchester City to qualify for the FA Cup final, there will still be many doubts that exist within the fan-base. They have shown that they can deal with the pressure and it is important that they show that again on Wednesday against Leicester City.

The future of Alexis Sanchez has been the main story regarding Arsenal since the start of the season and the most recent comments from Arsene Wenger will encourage the supporters. He hinted that the Chilean could sign a new deal and confirmed that he wouldn’t leave for another Premier League club. The Independent report the following comments from the Gunners’ boss:

“First of all that he is happy here. His desire is as well to stay. That is what I deeply believe. The disagreements are more purely contractual. Not on the desire. Both parties have the desire to find an agreement, so I think it will happen. I don’t think that you would sell him to any Premier League club, that is for sure.”

The Chilean has been excellent this season and consistently shown himself as one of the best players in the league. His attitude and relationship with his team-mates has been questioned at times, but on Sunday, he showed desire and commitment as he helped the Gunners overcome Manchester City.

Although these comments are positive from Wenger, there will be many doubting whether Sanchez does truly want to stay at the club. If they miss out on Champions League football, he may force a move as he is at his peak and needs to be playing in Europe’s premier competition.

The Daily Mail report that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in talks over a new five-year deal to keep him at the Emirates Stadium. There had been reports linking him with a move to another Premier League club, but Arsenal are prepared to offer him £100,000-per-week to ward off interest. The 23-year-old has just over 12 months left on his current deal and his future has become one of the main priorities behind the scenes.

It isn’t surprising that the club want to keep hold of him, as he has been one of the standout players in recent weeks. The atmosphere at the club has been difficult, but Oxlade-Chamberlain has been passionate and fought hard even when others on the pitch have hidden away.

His versatility also makes him important to the squad, as he can play in a number of different positions. In recent weeks, he has starred at right wing back and that could be a position that he plays more often next season if Wenger chooses to stick with three at the back.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Stuart MacFarlane