Electric Sanchez

 

-£35m signing gifted with searing pace and an eye for goal

-Battling qualities will galvanise teammates 

In the shop window that is the World Cup, Arsene Wenger probably didn’t take much convincing before making his first purchase. Coming off the back of an outstanding season in La Liga, the performances of Chile forward Alexis Sanchez was one of the few positives in what was ultimately a deeply disappointing season for Barcelona. Despite his stellar displays, the agile attacker never completely persuaded those at the Camp Nou that he was irreplaceable. Barca wanted funds to bring in Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, and Wenger wanted a versatile frontman. It all made sense, and Sanchez became the North London club’s first acquisition of the summer, joining for a fee of around £35m.

Sanchez outshone Brazilian boy wonder Neymar in Chile’s round of 16 match in Belo Horizonte, and was unlucky to end the game on the losing side. He also ranked just behind his former Barca teammate in the list of the most-fouled players at the tournament; Neymar on the receiving end of 35 fouls, and Sanchez on 34. The Chilean’s penchant for winning free kicks in dangerous areas is something that Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil will look to profit from next season. Alexis is not shy to try his hand from dead-ball situations himself. It was his free kick that forced Iker Casillas’s mistake for Chile’s decisive second goal against Spain in the group stages of the World Cup.

Further up the pitch, from inside the 18-yard box, Sanchez was one of the most clinical forwards in Europe’s top 5 leagues last season. His conversion rate inside the penalty area was an impressive 29%, bettering that of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Although his overall game is not quite on a par with these three aforementioned world-beaters, the 25-year-old is yet to reach his peak and clearly has the potential to improve under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger.

The predatory instincts, pace, power, and persistence that Sanchez possesses will bring a marked improvement to the Gunners’ front line. His double strike for Chile against England at Wembley in November means that Sanchez scored the same number of goals on English soil last season as Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo combined. Gooners worldwide must be licking their lips at the prospect of watching the South American speedster link up with Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud et al come August.

In terms of mentality, Wenger’s latest signing is exactly the type of footballer that Arsenal have been crying out for over the last few seasons. His determined, bulldog-like approach is not too dissimilar to that of Carlos Tevez. Like the rest of his international teammates, Sanchez works tirelessly to retrieve the ball every time possession is lost. It is no surprise, then, that he gained the nickname ‘Spartacus Sanchez’ amongst the Barca faithful during his stint in Spain.

Arsenal’s capitulation last season, which began in February, was woeful, humiliating, and shambolic. The worst part of it was that there was an air of inevitability about the collapse. The forlorn expressions etched across the players’ faces during this period said it all. It was like witnessing the reaction of a couple of pathetic Geordie Shore cast members after they had misplaced their mobile phones in a nightclub. In contrast to this spinelessness, Sanchez is a gritty gladiator, an absolute warrior on the pitch. He leads from the front and his resolute attitude is sure to inspire his new teammates.

It is too early to determine the impact that Sanchez’s arrival will have on Arsenal’s attempt to win silverware in consecutive seasons. It would be the first time since the 2003/04 and the 2004/05 campaigns if it were to happen. What is certain though, is that the fleet-footed forward is prepared for the challenge ahead, and will prove an absolute nightmare for Premier League defenders to play against. Spartacus Sanchez is ready for war.