There can be no denying that the Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been a revelation in the Premier League this season. But apart from scoring goals and showing off some marvellous pieces of skill on the ball, the Arsenal fans have really taken to him for his work ethic and commitment on the pitch, and the player has now made a few comments on that aspect of his game.
The Chilean international said: “I can adapt well to anything as long as I play football. Football is my passion and I am happy as long as I chase a ball. I’m well adapted to the country and the league. I must keep on learning, though. I want to expand my knowledge of English football in general and Arsenal and my teammates in particular, but overall I love this league.I live where football was invented. That makes me really happy.”
Well, Alexis Sanchez is a breath of fresh air. Over the years, we’ve seen so many technically gifted players from all over Europe move to the Premier League and struggle with the physical demands of the English game and the amount of work rate that the game demands, Andrei Arshavin is a good example I can think of from the top of my head. That being said, it is really nice to see a player willing to adapt his own game for the benefit of the team.
In addition, his attitude has also seemed to rub off on his teammates as well. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t seem to remember players like Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil being very keen to track back or put in some strong challenges last season, we’ve all seen them play the dirty part of the game this campaign though!
It does seem like a recipe for success really, especially when you look at how Chelsea are set up by Mourinho, players like Oscar, Willian and Hazard are equally keen on tracking back as they are going forward and with Sanchez’s attitude rubbing off on his offensive-minded teammates as well, we can expect to see the Gunners defending more as a unit in games to come.