Why Alexis Sanchez Is the Arsenal Player Chelsea Would Love to Have
What has been missing from Chelsea's performances this season?
The mid-week UEFA Champions League victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv aside, the Premier League champions have lacked intensity and haven't been creative enough. They've been dominated by their opponents and haven't controlled matches as a result.
The energy we saw last season as they strolled to the title just hasn't been there, which has amplified the problems elsewhere. Everything has snowballed.
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It's why Chelsea facing Arsenal this weekend serves as a reminder of why Alexis Sanchez is one of the few Gunners players capable of strengthening the champions beyond what we've seen this season.
Why? It's simple: He'd help cure many of the issues listed above.
The Chilean is a standout talent. He's infectious, and there's a strong argument that points to him and his dogged approach in the second half of 2014/15 being a major factor in Arsenal's campaign ending with some form of success.
Sanchez was Arsenal's talisman. He still is.
Whereas the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott can be trumped by their opposite numbers in the Chelsea squad—on paper at least—there isn't anyone quite like Sanchez at Stamford Bridge right now.
We can point to similarities, sure. In an attacking sense, Sanchez has an air of Eden Hazard about him as he mazes through defences. In front of goal, that cold, clinical edge means comparisons with Diego Costa aren't too far off, either.
As an individual, however, he stands out. Jose Mourinho doesn't have an Alexis Sanchez, and for that reason, the Arsenal man would be in high demand in west London should the (unlikely) opportunity ever present itself.
Indeed, Sanchez is a Mourinho player.
The Chelsea boss demands a minimum level of commitment from his players, regardless of where they play. The first principle is defence, ensuring that the opposition gets little opportunity to exploit Chelsea. It's the cornerstone of his approach that has delivered league titles all across Europe.
The sight of Costa finishing off counter-attacks gets the Stamford Bridge crowd off its feet, but watching the Spanish international attack opposition set pieces at Chelsea's near post is what will breed a sense of fulfilment in Mourinho.
He craves that in his players, making them work as a unit for one goal—to win matches.
It's a degree of sacrifice that few are cut out for, meaning so many players have fallen off the wagon when they haven't lived up to the manager's expectations.
Given what he offered in attack, scoring some vital goals in his short Chelsea career, Andre Schurrle will lament his defensive shortcomings.
Had the German been better defensively—a factor that would have meant his presence helping to ensure that solid base remained strong—he'd probably be a Chelsea player still.
Schurrle had everything on the front foot. It was what happened in the defensive third that decided his Chelsea fate.
Moments such as allowing James Milner to ghost in behind him and cross for Frank Lampard's equaliser for Manchester City early last season are what stick out for Mourinho, regardless of the fact that it was Schurrle who had put Chelsea in front at the Etihad Stadium that day.
The German was good, although in Mourinho's vision, he didn't live up to that special tag. He wasn't the complete player.
It's the same for so many other players under his watch. If we just look at the long list of casualties in his second spell at Stamford Bridge, it's clear the principles are the same.
Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Juan Cuadrado and even double Player of the Year Juan Mata have failed to live up to that expectation.
Looking at Sanchez, it's difficult to imagine he would suffer the same fate.
There's a determination about his game that would have Mourinho salivating. He hounds opponents for possession, harassing them to within an inch of their sanity.
It isn't just a needless cardiovascular workout, either. Sanchez presses with intelligence, picking his battles wisely and always fitting into the tactical principles of his team.
He isn't a lone ranger, and given what Chelsea have in their team, he would be a welcome addition.
Mourinho only has room for one No. 10 in his lineup, which is why Mata was sold to Manchester United in January 2013.
Mourinho needs his central attacker to be creative and also possess the ability to lead the charge of the high press, to pressure opponents in their half. Mata was never quite cut out for that. Oscar is, though, which is why he has always been held in such high regard.
Adding Sanchez into that trio of attackers—whether it be on the right or the left side, normally Hazard's preferred place—Mourinho would be doubling his firepower.
The criticism of Willian has been that he does half the job. The Brazilian presses well and keeps the team's shape, but he's not a goal threat.
Like Oscar at his very best, Sanchez comes with both barrels fully loaded.
With that commitment to the cause, we shouldn't forget he is a genuine footballer, too. As we saw last season in an Arsenal shirt, he wins the physical and psychological battle with teams before earning the right to play.
And when that time comes, he punishes them.
The contrast between Sanchez and Arsenal team-mate Mesut Ozil is striking. While the latter still divides opinion, Sanchez's debut campaign showcased his ability and proved he was capable of cutting it in England.
The Premier League isn't for the fainthearted, which is why Ozil has come in for some flak at times. He has disappeared in matches—for weeks at a time in some cases—and has never impacted things consistently enough to justify that record transfer fee Arsene Wenger paid for him.
With 24 goals in all competitions in 2014/15, the same can't be said for Sanchez. He's a player who has made things happen at the Emirates Stadium. He's been a real leader, which is what Arsenal have craved.
The Chilean isn't the final piece of Wenger's jigsaw, but with him in the team, Arsenal carry much more threat than they have for a long while.
We only need to look to Chelsea leading the Premier League table from the opening weekend to the last in the previous campaign to understand what Mourinho has at his fingertips.
Watching them implode in these opening five matches of 2015/16, however, it's clear there remains something missing to elevate this current generation to that of a decade before.
Mourinho needs more leaders. He needs more players capable of dragging his team through matches, and Sanchez undoubtedly is one.
He was there for the big moments last season. Sanchez scored the goals that took Arsenal into the FA Cup final before doubling their lead in the final against Aston Villa.
He never shirked responsibility or shied away from the expectation.
Put him in a Chelsea shirt, and the picture would be just the same.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.
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