Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has singled out Alexis Sanchez as the Gunners’ most influential ‘fighter’ but insists there are ‘loads’ of other leaders beside him, even if they are not always as vocal as him.
Arsenal have had a tough couple of months leading critics to point the finger at lack of backbone and ambition at the Emirates. Sanchez has remained unscathed due to his brilliant performances this season, having scored 23 goals in all competitions.
“He wants to train every day, not just what we have to do on the pitch but outside of it.” Bellerin told Arsenal TV.
“Sometimes he’s the first one to tell the other players when we’re not giving 100 per cent. He’s a leader, we have loads of leaders in the dressing room but he’s the first one to get frustrated.
“Everyone sees that when he’s not happy he is very expressive. Some people don’t show it as much as him, but when we lose or things don’t go well, everyone gets frustrated.”
“I think the mentality in the team – even though some people don’t express it – it’s the same one. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to do their best but sometimes things don’t work.
“But it’s true, he’s got a great winning mentality, and that’s why things are going so well for him.”
The Gunners had a nightmarish February and March, during which they managed to win only one game in the Premier League and were ruthlessly knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich. But Bellerin insists spirits are still high.
He said: “We have great atmosphere inside the dressing room. When you start losing, that’s when you realise how strong your dressing room is, but even when things are not going well we have people who lift us up from inside the dressing room and I think that’s really important.”
