Breaking Down Arsenal Forward Alexis Sanchez's Performance vs. Chelsea

Considering that he was named in the PFA Team of the Season on the morning of the game, the match between Arsenal and Chelsea ought to have been the perfect stage for Alexis Sanchez to showcase his dazzling skills. However, although he worked tirelessly to try to find a breakthrough for the Gunners, he struggled to live up to his billing as one of the Premier League’s brightest stars.

This was not a match in which attackers shone. Chelsea had the lauded Eden Hazard in their ranks, but the Belgian barely made an impression on the game. Instead, the most eye-catching performances came from defenders: John Terry was absolutely outstanding for Jose Mourinho’s men, while young Hector Bellerin did tremendously well for the Gunners in the scoreless draw.

Alexis was up against another member of that PFA team in the sturdy shape of Branislav Ivanovic. From very early on in the game, it was clear that Ivanovic was not going to give Alexis a moment’s peace. His physical approach sometimes boiled over into pure aggression, leaving the Chilean writhing in pain on the floor. Here is a chart of the five fouls Alexis suffered during the game:

Alexis Sanchez fouls | Squawka.com

Incredibly, three of those fouls occurred inside the first eight minutes of the game. The Serbian was determined to intimidate Alexis right from kick-off.

What this chart doesn’t show is the challenges from Ivanovic that went unpunished by the referee. Alexis took a battering, but he never hid. His skill is often praised, but his courage is equally commendable.

However, he did struggle to find the space required to hurt Chelsea. Mourinho set up his team to secure a point, meaning their midfield sat deep for long periods to protect the back four. A glance at the heat map of Nemanja Matic shows how close to his defence he played, with Chelsea determined to soak up any pressure from Arsenal.

Nemanja Matic heat map | Squawka.com

When Alexis did find room, his passing was frequently disappointing. Several promising attacks broke down when he failed to pick out a team-mate. His pass-completion ratio for the entire game was just 77 percent—no Arsenal player had a lower success rate. 

Alexis passing | Squawka.com

Alexis is always prone to conceding possession, as he’s someone who takes risks on the ball. His style sees him walk a tightrope, and it can result in a turnover. However, on this occasion he played wayward passes under little pressure. It’s clear that his radar was off.

The Chilean had only one shot of note in the game, squirming away from his marker just inside the penalty area to shoot wide of the near post. It was a momentary glimpse of the type of threat he is capable of providing, but Arsenal saw all too little of that menace against Chelsea. Mourinho and Co. will have been mightily relieved to have kept Alexis relatively quiet.

All stats via Squawka.

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.