How Arsenal Can Get the Best out of Alexis Sanchez

What is Alexis Sanchez?

It has been a while since the Chilean made his big move from Barcelona, but we still do not have a firm answer to that question. Arsene Wenger has used him in a variety of different areas just during Arsenal's first several games.

He started out, as many expected and as he had at Barcelona, on the right wing, with Santi Cazorla on the left and Olivier Giroud in the center.

And he did very well. Whereas Cazorla constantly cut inside and stayed there, leaving the fullbacks with everything to do, Alexis was a force on his side. He remained positionally disciplined and actually performed valuable defensive work that gave Arsenal more of the ball and better attacking opportunities.

Alexis is naturally an energetic, pugnacious player anyway. He is the sort of person who is a constant thorn in the side of those who are unfortunate enough to defend him. It just so happens that he pairs such an endless engine with superb technical nous and goal-poaching ability.

That is precisely what makes Alexis a tremendous bargain at the £32 million for which Arsenal nabbed him. He can play anywhere on the forward line and not want for quality.

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Wenger has even given Alexis run outs at striker, which he says is the Chilean's true position. This seems an odd conviction given that he has rarely played there during his career, but the manager is considerably better at evaluating players and their potential than any of us.

Alexis certainly does not fit the mold of the stereotypical lone striker, on which Arsenal's system relies. He is only 5'7" tall, though his muscular frame and boundless energy combine to somewhat negate the height disadvantage.

He has received a couple games up front, and while Arsenal have scored (sometimes through him), it has not been easy. Alexis is too shifty and seeks to get involved in too many areas of the attack to have a consistent presence at its tip.

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That is perfectly alright, but Arsenal have repeatedly demonstrated that they need a formidable and disciplined target main who can hold the ball up and distribute the ball to the rest of the forwards. The Gunners play off this man exceptionally often, and he opens up holes for other players.

If Alexis really was that sort of target man, Wenger would not have tried Yaya Sanogo, who is more naturally suited to replace Olivier Giroud, up front instead. He also would probably not have signed Danny Welbeck.

When Theo Walcott returns from his ACL tear in a few weeks, and assuming Welbeck is healthy, the only obvious place for Alexis to play is on the left wing. Though he has spent much of his time on the right in recent seasons, the other flank actually suits him better.

Whereas on the right Alexis is forced to use his speed to get past full-backs and whip crosses into the box (which he can do), his role on the left is more refined.

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Like Franck Ribery at Bayern Munich, he can use his dribbling skill to advance, cut inside and wreak all sorts of havoc. 

He would still be able to use his pace to some, though a lesser, extent. But he would not need to with Walcott on the other wing.

Yet this is only superficially the best fit. If Wenger altered his system a bit, he could put Alexis into his best possible position.

Because the manager is right: Alexis is a natural striker, given his uncanny ability to create goalscoring opportunities for himself and ability to link up with his teammates.

He just cannot play alone, for the reasons stated above. However, if he was employed as a second striker, playing slightly behind Giroud or someone else in the interim, he would be able to truly blossom.

Center-backs would be equally scared of Alexis' speed and ability to thread a pass. He also just tends to get into good goalscoring positions, which is easier to do and easier to exploit when in the center.

This would denote a major tactical shift for Arsenal, but using a two-striker system with Giroud and Alexis is the best way to ease the burden on, and get the most out of, both of them.

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