With Arsenal drawing with West Ham last on on Wednesday night, Wenger turned to his bench for inspiration, taking Alexis Sanchez off in the process. In many ways it was the perfect way to sum up what has been a disappointing season for the 28-year-old so far.
Sanchez has scored four league goals so far this campaign, some eight behind his total at the same point lat season (12).
Arsenal rejected a £60m offer from Manchester City on deadline day after they failed to find a replacement and at this moment in time, that seems to have been a mistake, with Sanchez looking anything but a £60m footballer.
Wenger made the decision to keep his star until the end of the season, believing that the benefits of keeping him around outweighed the financial boost of a sale.
However, that theory has largely failed to come to fruition, with the late winner against Burnley last month being the only goal scored by the Chile international that has contributed directly to securing Arsenal any points.
Wenger defended Sanchez following the West Ham game, saying: 'He tried, he did fight. It was difficult because they defended very well.
'When you start at 35 yards away from goal, it's difficult to score.'
Nevertheless, with City and PSG both interested in the player, the thought of cashing in on him in January will have crossed Wenger's mind, even if he won't admit it publicly.