Arsenal: Could Alexis Sanchez Be Arsene Wenger's Luis Suarez?
Arsene Wenger has said that Alexis Sanchez is similar to Luis Suarez. After his performances as a central striker, could he become Arsenal’s Suarez?
The summer of 2013. Arsenal were after a star attacker. The likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Edinson Cavani and Karim Benzema had been mentioned. There was one man who Arsene Wenger was particularly keen on, however. Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
What followed was an embarrassment for Wenger and the club. The infamous £40 million and £1 bid was submitted to activate a non-existent release clause, Suarez stayed with the Merseyside club before departing for Barcelona the season after. The next summer, Wenger found the pacy, hard-working, industrious forward he had been looking for in Alexis Sanchez.
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Fast forward a further 12 months, past a wonderful debut season in the Premier League for the Chilean international, littered with goals, silky skills and intense pressing, and the Gunners were hosting Liverpool, with many questions focusing on the potential similarities between the man Wenger wanted and the one he ended up getting. Speaking on the subject, Wenger stated:
“Sanchez and Suarez are at the same level. Suarez is a central striker and Sanchez is more a wide player who likes to go up and down and is involved in dribbling, but they have similarities. Sanchez has that desire to go forward and provoke, he is a guy who provokes chaos in the defences because he has a go at them. He does not go across, he goes straight. His desire to go forward, to provoke opponents, to run at people, creates danger. What Sanchez has is that, in the first two yards, he is lightning quick. He has that explosive attitude linked with his spirit and that makes him even more spectacular.”
Such comments were a tad confusing at the time, with the main difference between the two players being their position and their goalscoring fortunes. Suarez was a pure poacher, capable of finishing off free-flowing moves with precision and accuracy in his touch, his dribbling and ultimately his finishing. Sanchez, on the other hand, as a winger, was more inclined to drop deep and drive at defences, skip past players and rocket long range shots past sprawling goalkeepers.
Both talented, but different.
Now, though, after a run of games as the central striker, perhaps Sanchez is proving that he can indeed become Wenger’s Suarez. As the lone centre-forward, Sanchez is tasked with spinning in behind, running the channels and battling for crosses, not just dribbling with carefree abandonment. Wenger still gives him licence to roam, but his duties must still be fulfilled.
There is now an opportunity for the Chilean to continue his role upfront for some time. He was excellent against Chelsea on Saturday, industrious, hard-working and ruthless in front of goal. Just maybe, Arsenal’s star striker could well match his absent South American counterpart.
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