Angel Di Maria vs. Alexis Sanchez: Who Is Better?

Arsenal and Manchester United both signed South American superstars this past summer. They will (probably) face each other this weekend when the two teams meet at the Emirates Stadium.

Angel Di Maria was considerably more expensive than Alexis Sanchez, arriving at Old Trafford only after United shelled out just short of £60 million. Alexis' fee was a relatively paltry £35 million.

Both operate in similar roles. Di Maria is a roving winger-turned-attacking midfielder who is able to either put the ball on a plate for others or bend a shot into the top corner from distance; Alexis usually operates as a right winger, but Arsene Wenger favors him at striker and has also deployed him on the left.

The Chilean has been more immediately successful in his new league than the Argentine. Alexis' remarkable eight goals in 10 Premier League appearances dwarf Di Maria's relatively modest three goals in nine.

That's not to say that Alexis is better than Di Maria of course. Both have elite pedigree and both are more than capable of excelling with their respective clubs.

To figure out which man is the better footballer, we'll have to compare them in various categories, starting with:

Dribbling

Di Maria is an excellent dribbler, but this is one of Alexis' greatest strengths.

The Chilean specializes in the art of attracting two players while he holds the ball, advancing up the pitch or waiting for the play to develop around him and juking and feinting his way into open space.

His first touch is superb, and he can twist any fullback in the Premier League around before getting on the wrong side of him.

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Di Maria can do this too, but Alexis' shorter, stockier frame helps him wriggle away from defenders while not falling to the ground. Part of the reason why he has been so successful this season in an Arsenal team that cannot create much of anything is that he creates chances all by himself. And he does that through his exceptional ability to carry the ball past players.

Shooting

Di Maria and Alexis constantly have their eye toward the goal, and each is the sort of positive player who is always looking for a way to test the goalkeeper.

They have different playing styles, though, and their goals consequently look a bit different on average. Di Maria is more likely to have a crack from distance and zip a laser into the top corner, while Alexis more often fights and scraps his way into the back of the net.

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Both are certainly capable of putting the ball in from outside the penalty box or slipping it past the goalkeeper when one on one.

But Di Maria gets the edge here, simply because he has a track record of scoring marvelous goals for Real Madrid and is more likely to have a crack from anywhere on the pitch than Alexis.

Chance Creation and Intangibles

Both Di Maria and Alexis look to create chances for those around them. They will be doing a little less of that now, though, since they are no longer forced to support their former teams' superstars (Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo for the former, Lionel Messi and Neymar for the latter).

But Di Maria is a more natural creative player than Alexis, who is a more natural goal-poacher.

Hence the former's transition to central attacking midfield from his former position on the left wing. Though Di Maria is extremely one footed, he has uncanny vision and has become surprisingly adept at efficiently roaming around the pitch to find pockets of open space.

He is also a much better crosser than Alexis. The Chilean is no slouch in this department, but Di Maria is one of the very best in the world at whipping the ball into the box.

Though he has done this less frequently since being deployed centrally, the versatility of Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney has allowed him to shift around according to the run of play.

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However, Alexis easily has Di Maria beat in an area that compensates for so many flaws in any player: work rate.

I have seldom seen any footballer work harder for an entire 90 minutes than the Chilean does every single time he is on the pitch. He never fails to track back or harry an opponent in any place on the field.

Alexis' seemingly indefatigable motor allows him to create chances out of absolutely nothing; his match-winning brace against Sunderland, for example, was the result of his unrelenting will to win.

It is no surprise, then, that he has carried Arsenal on his shoulders at times this season. He is also no doubt an inspiration to and example for his teammates—someone who leads by example.

Conclusion

So who is better? Though Alexis and Di Maria operate in relatively similar roles and are comparable players, they can coexist in the same team—that is, they do not have exactly the same characteristics.

Therefore, comparing them directly is a difficult proposition. Ideally, the two would be on opposite wings in the same team, so they would not cancel each other out by trying to perform the same tasks.

While a compelling argument can be made for either, I prefer a player with a world-class work ethic who never says die and can make something happen by virtue of sheer will. With the requisite amount of effort and organization, any team can defeat any other on any given day.

Therefore, the verdict by a hair is Alexis Sanchez.

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