Alexis Sanchez Along the Same Line as Robin van Persie, Thierry Henry?

Team mates are supposed to build each other up, pat each other on the back, and fluff each other’s egos a bit, it’s just what they do. But it gets into new territory when you start getting compared to Thierry Henry, especially from an Arsenal perspective.

Mathieu Flamini (who played with Henry from 2004-2007) gave Alexis Sanchez perhaps the best compliment a Gunner could ask for. Here’s what he told reporters:

"“From what we have seen so far of him, he is right up there [with Henry and Van Persie]. He is proving it in every game he plays, not just with his goals but the way he works for the team.“[Alexis] is a breath of fresh air to play with. He gives so much for the team and not just in an attacking sense. I didn’t realise he works so hard off the ball. Not just creating space for others but helping out defensively. He is a top player and has already made a big difference.“Normally a player with his talent and goals would be satisfied with that but he gives more with his work-rate. When you see someone like him working so hard, it sets an example for all of us to follow.”"

When Henry came to Arsenal, he was unable to score in his first 8 appearances but finished with a massive 26 goals in 47 appearances. That translates to .55 goals a game. Alexis is currently at 8 goals in 15 appearances, which translates to .53 goals per game. It’s a small sample size, but you have to start somewhere, and Alexis is starting with a bang.

I’d say he already surpasses Robin van Persie because of his work rate on the pitch. No one hustles harder than Alexis, if he loses a ball, he tenaciously chases down whoever dared take it from him and relentlessly fights to get it back. And he does it for 90+ minutes every single game.

Obviously, with Henry’s and van Persie’s careers at Arsenal in the rearview mirror, we know how valuable they were to the team. But Alexis Sanchez may not have even hit his prime yet. He has all the creativity in the world and the freedom to use it on the biggest stage in world football. Unlike at Barcelona and Udinese, Alexis can showcase what he can do and prove to the world that he is truly one for the ages.

So while we can only speculate where Alexis’ career will end up, consider the following question:

Arsenal need to rally behind Alexis like they did behind Henry and let him drive this team to victory. He’s one of the most in-form players in the world as is and he’s going to do fantastic things at Arsenal.

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