Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger praised both Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez after the Gunners' 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
Focus despite contract talk
Both players are out of contract next summer, and therefore have been at the forefront of much speculation.
“They are always questioned,” Wenger said after the game.
“But the best way to show they are committed is to deliver that kind of performance.
“For Jack I think we spoke about him recently, he’s coming back in a good competitive shape and i feel that he gives something to the team at the moment that is very interesting.”
On Wilshere’s contract situation, Wenger said: “The situation is that we will sit down with him. The beginning of January it’s planned."
Sanchez was pictured in Paris over Christmas, leading many people to believe he was there on transfer business. However, Wenger shut this theory down, reporting Sanchez was meeting up with relatives.
When questioned about Alexis’ commitment after his two goal performance, the Arsenal boss said: “First of all nobody knows what will happen and it’s always difficult to speculate.
“It’s not a guarantee how long you will stay somewhere - as long as you are somewhere you give your best.”
Controling performance paired with defensive lapses
On the overall performance, Wenger was pleased with how his team were "fluid going forward and controlled the game well.
“At half-time it was 1-0, but it should have been more and then of course at some stage the home team who fights relegation will come at you, and we started well in the second half in the first fiver minutes.
“Then we showed resources and character, were leading 3-1 and controlled the game quite well, but at 3-2 we became quite nervy again and we finished in a bit of a less controlled way, but overall it was a good team performance.”
The win keeps the Gunners in sixth place, now level on points with Tottenham. With just a few days rest Arsenal are in action again away to West Brom on New Years’ Eve, the game which will see Arsene Wenger in charge for a record breaking 811th time.