Arsenal: One Solution To Refill Alexis’s Bag Of Tricks

Arsenal felt the immediate impact of Alexis Sanchez when he first arrived at the club, but since then he may have been figured out. What happens next?

Suddenly, there is a lot of worry that Alexis may be a bust. Twitter erupted with parallels comparing our dear Chilean with some other failed investments at Arsenal. It may be a bit premature, but the warning signs are there.

Alexis was at his best when he first arrived. That was when clubs had no idea what to do to stop him. He was a new weapon and no one had very much experience against him. That was clear in his massive returns for Arsenal. He carried the team on his back for the first half of the season.

But this is the best league in the world. Teams start to figure you out, and the Chilean was indeed figured out. The second half did not go according to plan and that ‘not going according to plan’ has carried over into this year. Aside from one month-long burst from September to October, where Alexis scored seven goals, we have seen very little return from him.

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In fact, throw out those four games and he only has three goals and three assists on the year. It just seems like Alexis does not have the same glamour when he isn’t contributing to goal. But with how inconsistent Arsenal is, they absolutely need him to be just that – consistent.

Since returning from injury, Alexis has been wholly ineffective. He showed a good deal of passion against Barcelona, but there is no end product. His shots are all over the place and he gets blocked so often it’s frustrating. People have seemingly figured out the Chilean’s masterstrokes.

So where can Arsenal turn from here to kick start their star man? It should be given top priority seeing as how his form is clearly pretty crucial to Arsenal’s success.

I have an idea. And believe it or not, it is not to bench him. Alexis has played one position all year – left wing. That has been his spot at Arsenal since he arrived. But the recipe has gone stale. Run down the left, cut in and look for options. Teams know what he is going to do before he does it. Fullbacks have seen him before and coaches can let everyone know what the Chilean will be up to.

So move him. While I would love to see him be given a start up front at striker (over Theo Walcott), I don’t think that Arsene Wenger would ever get that crazy. Instead, start him on the right wing.