How much of an impact is Alexis Sanchez having on Arsenal? by SE
It was an astute piece of business that Arsene Wenger did during the last English summer to bring Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona to the Emirates for £32m and, going by his performances for Arsenal, the Chilean has bedded in nicely to his new surroundings. When the likes of Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere haven’t been at the pinnacle of their prowess, Sanchez has been the leader for Arsenal during the early stages of this campaign.
He has worked hard for the team, which was not unexpected; has played to potential in his very first season in the Premier League and, more importantly, looks like a level-headed player. If anything, he has probably played a bit more than he would have liked to, and Wenger needs to keep an eye on how he can alleviate the work load on the Chilean, thereby getting the very best out of him. On that note, how much of an impact is Sanchez having on the Gunners?
Sanchez, like all great players, has brought his very best in those big games, and delivered goals or assists for Arsenal. The only game that he didn’t flourish was the away clash against Everton when he couldn’t get a stranglehold on proceedings, and failed badly; otherwise, Sanchez has been Arsenal’s shining star. His last two outings for Arsenal — against Hull City and Sunderland which by no means are colossal games — have been brilliant, as the Chilean singlehandedly dragged Arsenal to the best possible result given the scenario they had put themselves into.
Sanchez, who plays as a winger, hasn’t resorted to carrying out his positional tasks alone, which is the most impressive aspect of all. As he has grown in stature at Arsenal, he has been all over the pitch orchestrating the tempo for Arsenal. His touch maps against Hull City and Sunderland — games that the North Londoners simply had to win — are a classic indicator of what Sanchez is doing to Arsenal when the chips are down, and confidence isn’t exactly flowing through the entire squad. With the likes of Theo Walcott to return to action, Sanchez might not be needed to work as hard as he has done this season already; however, make no mistake that the lesser he works for the team, the more effective he will be as a player in his designated position.
When the opponents look at Sanchez as their biggest threat, they look to close him down and smother whatever little danger he might pose, subsequently making things a lot easier for the players around the Chilean. It is specifically due to this reason that if he continues to play like he has done for Arsenal so far the Gunners are in business for mounting a serious challenge in the Premier League, while progressing a good distance in their Champions League and FA Cup campaigns.
But what will Arsenal do if he gets injured or loses form?