Hold up. We’ve been here before…
Not for the first time this year, Alexis Sanchez has been spotted grinning minutes after being subbed out of an embarrassing defeat for Arsenal.
Captured smiling while in conversation with Petr Cech during his club’s 5-1 defeat at home to Bayern last season, history repeated itself at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool were dominant from start to finish against Arsene Wenger’s side, hammering them 4-0.
Sanchez, who has still to sign a new contract with the club and may yet leave before the close of the transfer window, was withdrawn by his manager after an hour. Shortly after Daniel Sturridge added a fourth Liverpool goal, cameras again picked up Sanchez appearing to smile from his position on the bench.
When you know you'll be somewhere else within a week… #LIVARS pic.twitter.com/i0aVyTzLYS
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) August 27, 2017
Predictably, plenty jokingly suggested his smile was down to the fact his spell with the club would soon be over.
The Chilean has largely escaped criticism in recent months, often being the man to help dig his team out of various sticky situations. At Anfield, however, he did very little while on the pitch – perhaps to be expected having only just returned from injury.
His lack of impact was highlighted by Gary Neville, who was on co-commentary duty during the game. After it, the former Manchester United captain delivered a particularly blunt assessment of the 28-year-old’s recent performances.
“In the very first five or ten minutes of the match, he was throwing his arms up and down [as if to say] “I’m the only one trying.”
“He’s a fantastic player and he’s a spirited player. He’s a tiger when he’s at his best but for the last six months he’s not covered himself in glory.
“To be honest with you, if I were another club, would I be looking at him and thinking ‘yeah, that’s something I’d want’? He might do a job for you for one of two years but he’s likely to do the same to you at some point.”
