Arsene Wenger: I wanted to rest Alexis Sanchez in Arsenal's Champions League win

ARSENE WENGER aired concern for his players in their 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb last night.

 

The Gunners kept their Champions League hopes alive with an impressive win as Olympiakos suffered a 4-0 defeat by Bayern Munich to set up a final match between decider between themselves and the Greek outfit.

Wenger praised Alexis Sanchez's performance that saw him score two goals, and admitted he would have liked to have rested him.

But the Chilean was forced to play the full 90 minutes with Wenger opting to take Olivier Giroud off after 67 minutes, while Hector Bellerin and Santi Cazorla both made way with eight minutes to go.

 

"We have Giroud and Alexis so at the moment all these strikers are needed," Wenger said. 

"Giroud had a little problem with his ankle over the weekend but I decided to give [him] a breather. 

"Hector Bellerin, I took him off because he had a groin problem just before so I had to take them off meaning I could not take Alexis off. We now have five days to recover.

 

Alexis Sanchez scored twice in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb

 

Sanchez celebrates scoring his team's third goal

"I would have loved to do it tonight (rest Alexis) but I [had] two different options. Once it is 3-0 you are not in a position where you need him to work back and when you put him central up front you can spare a bit of energy. 

"It is not like you have to go up and down. I tried to compromise a little bit and give a break to Giroud and not take a risk with Bellerin."

Arsenal must now beat Olympiakos by two or more goals to seal a place in the Champions League knock-out stage.