Wenger Compares Sanchez To Messi, Beckham And Zidane

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has likened Chile star, Alexis Sanchez to Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane for their contribution to their national teams.

Chile missed out of qualifying for the World Cup and a playoff berth, after a 3-0 loss to Brazil on the final matchday.

Arsenal play Watford on Saturday and Wenger believes Sanchez is among a group of players heavily relied upon by their national team.

“I would say you have in every generation a player who carries the pressure of expectation of a nation,” the Frenchman said.

“In France it was Zidane. In England it was Beckham. We had other players in the team but it was Beckham. Why not [Steven] Gerrard? I don’t know. But it was Beckham.

“In Chile it’s Sanchez. In Argentina of course it’s Messi. It looks like that there is somebody there in a national team who has to carry the pressure and absorb it and protect a little the rest of the team.

“It’s someone normally who likes it a little bit. They like to be on the front line. Overall what does it mean? It means they have to deal with the lows as well.”