Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has explained why he has decided to start Alexis Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny in their Champions League qualifier against Besiktas.

The Gunners host the Turkish side in the second leg this evening, and the French boss said that experience in big games has been key to his team selection.

He told Sky Sports News: "Alexis is sharp, he's quick and I believe he can give them trouble. It was a tight decision between him and Yaya Sanogo but in the end, I went for Sanchez as he's used to playing this kind of game.

"Experience is important, Calum Chambers has done very well, but you know, a player of that age (19) sometimes needs a little bit of a breather after four or five games, and with the pressure being on, that's important.

"I've told my players to be calm and focus on our game."

You can catch live commentary of the game here.

Written by
Paul Gorst