Arsene Wenger says there was absolutely no risk in bringing on Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal last night.
The Chilean forward came on in the 74th minute as the Gunners beat Sutton United in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Gander Green Lane.
Using such a world-class player against a non-league side could be seen as a risky move but Wenger says Alexis was the perfect player to use on Sutton's tricky 3G artificial pitch.
"He is a guy who has a strong body. I think on this pitch it is the guy who does not have good co-ordination, who is heavy on his feet, who is in trouble," he told Arsenal.com.
"Alexis is more a guy who has very good co-ordination, he is light on his feet. I don't think it was a risk."
Regarding Arsenal's fairly strong line-up in Sutton, Wenger added: "Of course, we could not afford a light team selection tonight and that is why I came with basically all the players who were available because we couldn't afford to go out tonight, we can never afford it."
Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott scored goals either side of the break to send the Gunners through to the quarter-finals of the cup where they will host Sutton's National League rivals Lincoln City in March.
Source: tribalfootball.com