Contract rebel Alexis Sanchez was mysteriously left on the bench for Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat at Anfield and there are now fears he could lead an exodus from the club in the summer. With Arsenal humiliated in the Champions League by Bayern Munich and 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea in the Premiership, confidence in the ability of Arsene Wenger is ebbing away. Sanchez, the genuine star of an underperforming team, has frequently cut a frustrated and dejected figure this season, and looks destined to leave in the summer.

There have been reports of a training ground row that led to him being benched, and his future looks precarious. In 26 games this season, Sanchez has scored 17 and assisted nine, making him by far and away the Gunners’ best attacking threat. Whether he stays or goes might depend on the future of Wenger. You get the impression that if Wenger goes in the summer, Sanchez might stay and give it a go under a new manager that brings a new lease of life to the club, which is in the doldrums of losing three of its last four league games. A BetDSI review of the odds shows Arsenal are predicted to finish outside the top four this season for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s 20-year reign: they are fifth favourites to finish in the top four and are not predicted to win the majority of their upcoming games.

Losing that Champions League spot would drastically reduce their pulling power and their transfer budget, so they really need to pull together and make up the gap on the teams above them between now and May. Most fans now seem to want Wenger to leave. The Wenger out brigade has shouted down his ardent supporters, and that might be a way of keeping Sanchez. Mesut Ozil has said he would leave if Wenger goes, but that might not be the worst outcome. Recent revelations have shown Jose Mourinho called Ozil “a coward” during their time together at Real Madrid, and he is a player that is never really up for a fight. A brave new Arsenal for 2017-18 could get rid of the manager and players that lack backbone and usher in a new era.

It worked for Chelsea, where Antonio Conte brought in N’Golo Kante and transformed a side that finished mid-table last season into champions elect this time around. There would arguably be a bigger rebuilding job at Arsenal, but it would be an exciting prospect for a top manager. Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny would be the main ones to try to keep. Petr Cech might have another season or two in him. Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin have shown promise and could improve if they were managed better. Lucas Perez has shown glimpses of attacking flair. Olivier Giroud is a good option off the bench. Jack Wilshere could even come back and fight for a place. But beyond that there needs to be a drastic overhaul. Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Calum Chambers can all go, marking the end of a failed experiment that tried to build a core of British players and can only be rated as a flop. Francis Coquelin has regressed, Granit Xhaka has never got started and Nacho Monreal has peaked. It’s time for fresh blood and Wenger may no longer be the man to deliver it. He has had several years now since the stadium was paid off and he has not delivered that elusive title. Fans can legitimately believe it will never happen under him now, so a new manager could be their only hope of returning to the summit of English football.