Gary Neville: This Arsenal duo led by example
The Man United legend was impressed with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in the north London derby
Gary Neville has praised Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez for finally leading by example in a commanding Arsenal win.
Arsene Wenger opted to start with his big-name duo for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Arsenal lost 3-1 to Premier League leaders Manchester City in their last game before the recent international break as Ozil and Sanchez attracted heavy criticism.
The Gunners pair have both entered the final 12 months of their current Arsenal deals to open up the possibility of the duo leaving for nothing next summer.
But Ozil scooped the man of the match award after assisting Shkodran Mustafi for Arsenal’s opener, while Sanchez doubled the home side’s lead with a precise finish.
Arsenal have some work to do to overhaul the 12-point deficit to catch leaders Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Former Manchester United defender Neville heaped praise on Ozil and Sanchez for leading by example in all departments in Arsenal’s derby win.
“You think about the Man United teams I played in, when the best players in the team set the tone, working hard and make the tackles, the rest of the team follow them,” Neville told his Sky Sports podcast.
“They are leaders by their price tag, leaders by their reputation and leaders by their skill. They’ve not always been leaders by their work ethic and attitude.
“Ozil and Sanchez have fallen below standard at times over the past 18 months. They were fantastic.”
Ozil has been linked with a controversial switch to Manchester United where he could link up with former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho.
Sanchez, on the other hand, has been touted as a potential signing for Manchester City.
