Was Alexis Sanchez Meant to be Arsenal’s No. 9 All Along?

Arsenal are going to be without Danny Welbeck for the duration of the conceivable future. That leaves a floundering Olivier Giroud and a hapless Theo Walcott to man the attack. While Olivier Giroud will most likely turn it around, that still leaves Arsenal without a consistent striker to rely on.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez can be that guy. He may have been destined to be all along. For starters, the Chilean National side formation is spearheaded by Alexis as a striker. He plays alongside Eduardo Vargas, but play goes through Alexis Sanchez at the front. He has a tremendous international record, scoring 28 times in 87 appearances.

Many out there are calling for this kind of success to be replicated at Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger has used Alexis Sanchez in a central attacking position before. It was proven to be his weakest position of use all season. However, it was a relatively small sample size. Since that time he has found his calling on the left side of the pitch, where he can more effectively contribute to the game. That is Alexis’s desires though, as he is an engine that wants to be moving around the ball at all possible times.

The argument can be made that this hinders his attacking ability. Exhaustion is a serious factor when considering Alexis Sanchez’s play. We saw it at the end of last year. He became, as ESPNFC puts it, predictable. His attacks all looked the same as they came in from the left side and he lost freshness with each passing match.

By putting Alexis Sanchez at the center forward position, you wind him up like a top. He is confined to a smaller amount of space so when he gets the ball, he bursts at the opposing defense. Even when the attack is forming around him or on a counter attack, the anticipation to get on the ball will make him irrepressible.

Sometimes I put a little too much confidence in Arsene Wenger’s strategies, but it is possible that the plan was to convert him to a striker all along. Consider it like giving a dog a bone to play with at his leisure and then taking it away, only to give it to him less frequently. Now, when he has the bone, he is going to appreciate it that much more.

By putting Alexis on the left wing, he is free to do as he pleases. He can take the ball where he wants and do with it what he wants. But at striker, he cannot do that. Not saying that Alexis does not appreciate having the ball as is, but he will make so much better use of it knowing that he is there to attack, and if the team is not attacking, he is not involved.