Alexis Sanchez & Arsenal: A Match Made In Heaven

When Arsenal announced that they had signed Alexis Sanchez last July, supporters around the globe rejoiced. Sure, the club were stocked in the wide positions and desperately needed a defensive midfielder, however the opportunity to sign a genuine world class player overrode all those concerns. Alexis' attacking prowess was widely known across the footballing world, and a top class World Cup performance meant his stock had never been higher.

Following his big money move to North London, the Chilean has absolutely thrived, almost singlehandedly keeping Arsenal near the top of the table. He's dazzled the Emirates crowd with his skill, drive and work-rate, improving his consistency and end product in the process. It may just be early days for his Gunners career, however the signs point to Alexis Sanchez and Arsenal being a match made in heaven.

While he almost exclusively played on the right for Barcelona, Alexis' versatility has been one of his most evident traits since he arrived at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger has been quoted saying "he's a very versatile striker. He can play through the middle, he can play on both flanks and he has qualities that I think are needed in England."

True to his word, Sanchez has been fielded in all 4 attacking positions during his time at the club, excelling in each one. After making his competitive debut against Manchester City in the Community Shield, Alexis spent his first few matches with the club at his usual right wing position. While he largely performed admirably during that time, many questions arose over how Wenger would accommodate both him and the soon to return Theo Walcott. The common consensus was that Alexis' role would eventually be changed, either to the opposite left wing or up front as a striker. The Frenchman experimented with him as a centre forward to mixed results, however the arrival of Danny Welbeck from Manchester United ensured that Alexis would occupy the left wing slot for the time being. Right from the get go, it was evident how different his style is on each wing. On the right he seems more free flowing and fluid, using his sideways movement to pop up undetected and link up with the rest of the attack. On the left he appears to be a more skillful, cutting inside to befuddle defenders with his trickery and guile. There is little doubt that he would excel long term on either wing, and it appears he could find himself playing a good deal of football on both flanks.

However with the injury of Mesut Özil, Alexis has been given the chance to play in a 4th position: as a number 10. While Özil occupies the space behind the striker as a more languid, technical player, Alexis' style in such a role differs completely. The Chilean is given free reign to unleash complete chaos in the center of the pitch, running at defenders and skillfully navigating his way across all factions of the attacking 3rd. Alexis will likely not be able to play as a 10 too many times during his Arsenal career, but he has proven himself as a superb option should the need arise. His ability to excel in all attacking positions is incredibly useful, and will likely be heavily utilized by Arsene Wenger in the months to come.

Additionally, Alexis' ability to singlehandedly carry his side to victory has been sorely missed by Arsenal since the days of Robin van Persie. For the past few seasons, the Gunners have been criticized for lacking a game changer, someone who can provide individual moments of magic to bail them out of sticky situations. Attacking players such as Mesut Özil, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are quality footballers, however all of them seem to require the proper conditions in order to make an impact. When the side are in sync and clicking, Arsenal's players seemed capable of truly magical moments. However in times of trouble, particularly against the big clubs, they've found themselves completely stifled.

With Alexis now in the equation, that no longer holds true. His blazing skill and supreme fighting spirit makes him a prototypical game changer, providing the Gunners with a dimension that they've been sorely lacking as of late. Take his brilliant goal and assist performance against Hull City for example. Alexis created the opening goal out of nothing, latching onto the ball well outside the box and driving forward before finishing at an impossibly tight angle. He then provided a match changing assist when his side most needed a moment of magic, beating 3 men before craftily finding Danny Welbeck for the equalizer.

It would be ill advised for Arsenal to solely rely on Alexis, as plenty of teams have proven in the past. Clubs such as Liverpool and Tottenham have enjoyed immediate success on the shoulders of Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale respectively, before falling off drastically as soon as their talismen became unavailable. However having a star with the ability to grab the game by the scruff of the neck is one that is exceedingly favourable for Arsenal's fortunes.

While the Chilean superstar has enjoyed immediate success at Arsenal, many question why his performances at Barcelona were significantly more sporadic. His time in the Catalan capital featured many ups and downs, experiencing the heights of La Liga conquest and the lows of allegedly being called a "waste of money" by Lionel Messi. For those who watched him at Udinese and the Chilean National side, this was incredibly baffling. Alexis had long been tipped as the "next big thing" to come out of South America, with many regarding him becoming one of Europe's top players as an invetability. However once he arrived at Barcelona, his progress slowed.

While a few theories have been put forward, the main cause seems to be attributed to a clash of styles between the Chilean and the Catalan giants. At Udinese and the Chilean national team, Alexis was handed maximum freedom, acting as a main engine in the attack. At Barcelona, that role is occupied by a certain Argentine named Lionel Messi. Because of this, Alexis was often forced to play as an outlet, running off the ball while Messi dazzled onlookers with his attacking prowess. Excluding Messi, Barcelona's brand of football provided little room for self expression, focusing more on order and technique than flair. At Arsenal however, he has once again been handed the keys to the forward line. Whether it be in a floating wide role or as a number 10, Alexis is once again able to act as the main source of attack. It may be early, but it seems Alexis' progress is once again back on track. Who knows what heights he'll reach in the coming seasons at Arsenal.

Everyone knows how high Alexis Sanchez's potential is, and it appears he's finally starting to achieve it at Arsenal. The Chilean's versatility and penchant for moments of magic has helped him establish himself as one of the Premier League's finest players, almost single handedly dragging Arsenal to favourable results in the process.

Alexis has slotted in seamlessly to the Gunners fluid style of football, and that has shown on the stat sheet. 11 goals and 3 assists is a superb tally for a player still in the process of adapting to the Premier League, and he'll only get better as time goes on. Alexis Sanchez has always been a gem, however it appears that he may be a lot brighter than Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans ever expected.

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