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Did Alexis Sanchez just have his 'when the seagulls follow the trawler' moment?

Did Alexis Sanchez just have his 'when the seagulls follow the trawler' moment?
Did Alexis Sanchez just have his 'when the seagulls follow the trawler' moment? Did Alexis Sanchez just have his 'when the seagulls follow the trawler' moment?

Anyone who was following Alexis Sanchez on Instagram solely for pictures of his dogs got a shock today when he posted about actual football.

The Chile forward posted a gallery of pictures of himself playing for Arsenal, captioned: “The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him. Let’s go Gunners. ‘The only failure is not trying.’”

Not a dog in sight.

It’s the most chin-scratching thing a footballer has said since Eric Cantona uttered the classic: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

It comes, of course, with the entire football world speculating about Sanchez’s future.

Alexis Sanchez and Arsene Wenger had a good old-fashioned handshake in training today (Tim Goode/PA)

Sanchez was left out of the starting XI for Arsenal’s game against Liverpool this weekend, with reports later suggesting it was because of a training ground row with team-mates – reports Arsene Wenger today dismissed as “completely false”.

“I understand you have newspapers to fill,” he added to reporters.

One person who may have raised an eyebrow at Sanchez’s Instagram post is Niall Quinn.

Alexis Sanchez has perfected the “I’m not with these losers” look, according to Niall Quinn (Adam Davy/PA)

The former Arsenal striker told Sky Sports: “The Chilean has obviously enjoyed the limelight, and the attention has brought out a side of him which, if the newspaper reports on Monday are to be believed, is always very unattractive to fellow players.

“He has perfected the ‘I’m not with these losers’ gesture. His will to win was something Arsenal needed in their team, and Arsene must have hoped it was contagious. Sanchez’s ability to conspicuously convey how disappointed he is with everybody wearing the same jersey isn’t the same thing though. To me it is selfishness disguised as leadership.”

Sanchez, 28, has been heavily linked with a move away from Arsenal this summer, with Paris St Germain reported to be waiting in the wings.

Meanwhile, for those who were only ever really interested in the dogs, here are some pictures of the good stuff.

Woof.