Instant Alexis Sanchez Impact Points to Potential Iconic Status at Arsenal

When Arsenal eventually grabbed a winner against Southampton, the identity of the goalscorer came as no surprise. Alexis Sanchez had a difficult night, giving his worst individual display in many weeks. However, when it came to the crunch, he was there to fire Arsenal to the win.

That’s the mark of a top player. Even when things aren’t going their way, they’re still capable of making a telling contribution. The only time Alexis’ head goes down is when he is breaking into yet another sprint. Invariably, his quality shines through.

After the game, Arsene Wenger spoke to Arsenal.com about Alexis’ impact on the match and the club as a whole:

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He was one of the players who had to dig in today but he still has such a desire to fight, which is why he always finds something special to get the goal. It’s difficult to find examples of people who have settled so quickly. My memory is not perfect but quicker, you cannot. We are in December and he arrived in July—when you look at the number of goals and the impact he has on the team, it’s fabulous.

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Since the summer of 2013, Arsenal have made two marquee signings in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. However, to date only one has really looked like a marquee player. If Alexis carries on at this rate, he seems destined to become an iconic figure at the Emirates Stadium.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Matt Fleming of The Telegraph has undertaken a piece of research to give some measure of Alexis’ influence upon Arsenal. He calculates that without the Chilean’s contribution, the Gunners could be languishing as low as 14th place in the Premier League. It’s not a perfect test—other players might have stepped up to fill that considerable breach—but it gives some indication as to how vital Sanchez has been this season.

Sanchez was signed after the failure to land Luis Suarez the previous summer. However, the Arsenal man has already outstripped the Uruguayan’s early performances for Liverpool. In Suarez’s first 13 Premier League games, he scored four times. With nine goals already to his name, Alexis has more than doubled Suarez’s tally. 

It’s not guaranteed that Sanchez will maintain this level of performance for the remainder of the season. Against Southampton, there were signs that he is beginning to feel the effect of his exertions. At previous clubs, he has been accustomed to a winter break, and Arsene Wenger will need to utilise the renewed availability of Theo Walcott to ensure Alexis gets the appropriate amount of rest.

Arsenal must protect their talisman. Not since the days of Thierry Henry have Arsenal had a player so capable of turning a match on an individual piece of brilliance. The Arsenal greats of the Emirates era have been Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, and Sanchez has the class and character to match those two. Perhaps he can eventually go further and emulate Suarez by leading his team in a genuine title challenge.

Before the Southampton match, Alexis was captured fiddling with a life-size photograph of himself in the Arsenal tunnel, attempting to improve its diminutive stature. He needn’t worry: His performances are ensuring he stands more than tall enough.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.