Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger dismissed reports of a trainingground bust-up involving star forward Alexis Sanchez as “completely false” on Monday. Th e 28-year-old was reported to have stormed off the training pitch last week before becoming involved in an angry confrontation with his teammates, but he took part in training on Monday and shook hands with Wenger before the session. Sanchez started Saturday’s 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool on the bench, coming on at halftime and making a goal for Danny Welbeck. Asked about the reports at a press conference prior to Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayern Munich, Wenger said they were “completely false”. “Nothing happened, nothing at all,” Wenger told reporters at Arsenal’s London Colney base.
“But I understand that you have to fi ll the newspapers and we respect that. When you don’t win the games there are sometimes stories.” Wenger said tactical factors had been the “unique reason” for his decision to start with Sanchez on the bench at Anfi eld, where Olivier Giroud and Welbeck started up front. “His attitude is he’s a committed player,” Wenger said of Sanchez. “Sometimes with excessive behaviours, but he’s been in every squad. “Th e defi nition of a happy person is very diffi cult. I never found the ideal one. “On the football front, it is to play well and win. I hope he is happy tomorrow.”
