Arsenal vs Manchester United: Alexis Sanchez still isn’t a striker

Arsenal will face a selection dilemma when coping with the loss of Alexandre Lacazette, but please, oh please, can we just accept that Alexis Sanchez isn’t a striker?

Arsenal face essentially three options when coping with the loss of Alexandre Lacazette, and what I think is going to happen is what I do not want to see happen because we have seen it happen too many times before.

Related Story: 3 Reasons Not To Be Scared Of Romelu Lukaku

We have been doing a lot of talking about the front three, and how that seems to be the key to success. We lost one of those front three, and by an extrapolation of logic, the key would then become trying to stay as true to that front three as you can.

That does not involve moving another member of that front three out of position. Because then you only have one member of that front three in position, and that one member is the most volatile of the three.

Which just sounds like something you’d want to avoid, no? I foresee Danny Welbeck getting the start next to Mesut Ozil (the volatile one) and Alexis Sanchez up front. But how many times do we have to put the Chilean at striker to understand that that is not his best position?

My logic is quite simple, and it’s about maximizing the talent that we have – a topic that I feel like I talk about far too often.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Alexis Sanchez is a creator long before he is a bonafide striker. He creates 2.5 chances per appearance, that’s good for 4th in the league. You lose a huge chunk of that by replacing him with Welbeck and pushing the Chilean forward because Welbeck does not create like Alexis does and Alexis is not a striker like Lacazette is.

Positional integrity is key to a match that figures to be spent mostly in United’s half of the pitch. Which plays into another risk you run with what I fear Wenger will do. You lose that positional integrity and Welbeck and Alexis will both push forward as dual strikers, Mesut Ozil becomes the sole creator and you really isolate that midfield.

There may be a better dose of fluidity, that is a potential perk, but can you really count on it? I don’t think so. I think that, since we are going to be taking the fight to United, we will need a man in the box who creates space and doesn’t feel the need to drop back and create when things aren’t going his way.

Next: 5 Key Players To Watch vs Manchester United

I want to be proven wrong. I do. But for now, I’ll just wait for Arsenal to release their starting XI.