Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez Statements Can Easily Backfire
Arsenal’s fiery Chilean Alexis Sanchez thinks that he is on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Should we be worried?
Confidence is a good thing, especially at Arsenal. So many Gunners have seen positive form ruined by a dent in the confidence. Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular have depicted this lack of belief on the pitch, where they look so down and out mentally that physically, they just can’t adjust.
Alexis Sanchez has no shortage of confidence. That’s for sure. And his latest comments cement that fact. His words, as quoted by the Independent:
“I have reached a level where I can compete with great players. I do not feel inferior to anybody. I liken [my qualities] to Messi and Ronaldo. I have the same abilities as them.”
I don’t have any particular problem with the self-belief that Alexis has. You can see how talented he is no matter the opponent. He made an impact at Barcelona and you could argue that he is Arsenal’s most dangerous attacker. He is absolutely one of the most elite players out there.
But to say that he is at the same level as the unanimous two best players in the world is a bit risky. Not just for him, but for the club.
For him, we see the frustration he feels when he doesn’t score. It pushes him to try almost too hard. He admitted himself that he can’t sleep when he doesn’t score and he comes out the next match pushing harder than ever to try to earn himself a restful night.
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Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But it can clog up the Arsenal attack at times, when Alexis is trying to hard to do it all himself that he forgets that he has team mates. It has happened less as of late, but hopefully we can get this to a point where it doesn’t happen at all.
Then there is the matter of how his belief can hurt the team.
Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs out there with the most ambition. Don’t believe what you read on social media. But the last thing they need is someone thinking they are bigger than the club. Not saying Alexis does, because he doesn’t, but that kind of belief can develop with time as well.
Again, neither one of these things has come to pass. Alexis is a wholesome guy and a good-hearted individual. I just hope that Arsenal can bring him some silverware before he starts thinking he’s too goo to stay.
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