Sport
SANCHEZ BACK TO HIS BEST AS ARSENAL TITLE BID GATHERS PACE
It may have taken him a while to get going, but there is no doubt that Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has now recaptured his best form as the first quarter of the Premier League season comes to a close.
The Chile international began the campaign slowly, failing to find the back of the net or record an assist in the Gunners’ opening six matches. Sanchez simply did not look as sharp as he was in his fantastic debut season last year, with the explosive speed and powerful running that characterises his game not having the same effect as it did in 2014/15.
All that has changed in recent weeks, however, with Sanchez’s strike against Watford on Saturday his sixth in his last three games. The former Barcelona star’s contribution to his team extends far beyond goalscoring, too, with his work ethic, link-up play and ability to stretch defences all vital to Arsene Wenger’s side’s way of playing the game.
“He’s just relentless going forward,” the Frenchman said of Sanchez after his team’s 3-0 victory at Vicarage Road this weekend. “He pushes the [opposing] team back … and he is always dangerous. At the moment he is in full confidence and that is very important for us.”
Sanchez’s slow start to the season was perfectly understandable given that his summer was not spent lying on a beach but playing six matches at the Copa America. The 26-year-old had a decent tournament as the hosts won their first ever trophy, with Sanchez scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Argentina in the final to make himself the hero. As the competition did not finish until early July, it was always unlikely that the forward would be fit and firing just over a month later for the start of the domestic campaign.
With Sanchez back to his best in the last few weeks – a hat-trick against Leicester and a brace against Manchester United helped Arsenal to collect a vital six points against high-flying opponents – Wenger was probably on edge throughout the recent international break, with Sanchez playing two World Cup qualifiers for Chile in the space of nine days while carrying a slight groin injury.
Much to his manager’s relief, there were no signs of fatigue on Saturday evening, with Sanchez including in the starting XI despite many onlookers believing he would be rested given his busy schedule of late.
The Gunners looked rather ordinary in the first hour but came to life soon after, with Sanchez providing the spark that got them going: the £35-million man began the move that he then finished off for Arsenal’s opener, driving forward after collecting the ball on the halfway line before adding the final touch after good work from Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil. It was a goal that showcased Sanchez’s fine blend of physical and technical gifts, a combination that makes him one of the most dangerous attacking players in the Premier League.
“He has had a bit of a difficult start because he came back late [from the Copa America] and you could see that,” Wenger told the club’s official website before the Watford fixture last week.
“But now he is back to his level and even better than before. His overall game and finishing, contributing and assists is excellent. He works hard for the team and he finishes. His enthusiasm is contagious.
“He always gives you hope that he is going to do something and he always gets defenders on the back foot, provokes and that is top class.”
If Sanchez can continue to perform in the way he has in the last month or so, Arsenal’s ambition to end their 12-year title drought stands an excellent chance of being realised.
