Arsenal: Wilfried Zaha not half the player Alexis Sanchez is

Arsenal are reportedly lining up Wilfried Zaha is a potential Alexis Sanchez replacement. But the Crystal Palace winger is not half the player that the Chilean is. Arsene Wenger would be making a mistake.

Consistency is king. All professional players, to one extent or another, are talented. They have outstanding abilities. They would not have made it as far as they have if they didn’t. As a result, all players can, in fleeting moments, in glimpses, here and there, provide pieces of top quality play, moments of sheer skill and ability that are rare and unique. All players can reach greatness, every now and then.

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The difference, though, between those who are good, who, at times, reach the tip of greatness, only to slip back down to normality the very next game, and those who are great, is consistency. Theo Walcott, for example, has created some moments of truly brilliant play. But that does not mean that he is a brilliant player.

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Brilliant players, top-tier players, world-class, as the phrase goes, players, are able to replicate their moments of genius time and time again. Their performances do not rise and fall; their production is regular and reliable. Take the aforementioned Walcott and his opposite number, Alexis Sanchez. Both can score outrageous goals. Both can dribble with wonderful balance, pace, and precision. Both can create, both can score, both are dangerous. But only one is consistently so.

This talk of consistency leads me to the eventual departure of Sanchez. As his contract expires at the end of the season, it seems inevitable that Sanchez will leave the club, whether it be in the winter or at the end of the year. If and when that happens, Arsene Wenger will need to find a replacement. That replacement needs to be a consistent threat, not a fleeting one.

So the rumours that link Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha with a move to North London as a successor for Sanchez are not especially encouraging ones.

Is he a talented player capable of moments of outstanding play? Absolutely. Is he a pacy, direct winger, who glides past defenders, creates chances and scores goals? Yes. But is he consistent, dependable, reliable, with a moderated level of performance that is replicable throughout the year? No, no he is not, and that is where the issues lie.

If Arsenal envisage him developing into such a player, then perhaps the transfer can be more understood. Consistency can certainly be learned, and the younger and less experienced a player is, the more likely he is to suffer from dips in form. Zaha, some would argue, currently lacks the maturity to be consistent. That is something that Arsenal may think that they can impart.

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But then Zaha becomes a hopeful replacement, one that requires progression, one that requires improvement. One for the future. That is not what Arsenal need. Such is Sanchez’s importance, influence and impact, Arsenal need consistent quality. Zaha does not, yet, provide that.