Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott Bring Arsenal Attack to Life Against Leicester

Until the match at Leicester, Arsenal’s attacking play in 2015/16 had been uncharacteristically uninspiring. However, at the King Power Stadium, the Gunners’ forward line burst into life in spectacular fashion.

With the fleet-footed pair of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott working in tandem, Arsene Wenger’s men seem to have found a formula that could pose problems for almost any defence. 

Alexis was the day’s obvious star. Having gone eight games without a goal, he broke his duck in extraordinary fashion, grabbing his first hat-trick in Arsenal colours. The treble means he is now the first-ever player to have scored a hat-trick in the English, Spanish and Italian top flight. That remarkable feat is testament to Alexis’ unique talent.

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The hat-trick illustrated different aspects of his ability.

The first strike was a pure poacher's goal, reminiscent of the type Robert Pires used to score with unerring regularity for Arsenal. When Hector Bellerin’s pull-back deflected off a defender at the near post, Alexis was perfectly placed to tuck the ball home.

The second showcased his startling athleticism, as he leapt high to head home Mesut Ozil’s carefully clipped pass.

The third and final goal was all about individual quality and imagination. Alexis’ first touch saw him knock the ball beyond his marker before racing round to collect it. He then drove infield and unleashed a ferocious shot which skipped into Kasper Schmeichel’s near post. It was both beautiful and brutal.

Speaking to Arsenal.com, Gunners boss Wenger eulogised about the former Barcelona man:

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He is back to his level. He won a big competition with Chile - the Copa America. I think as well mentally to adjust to the game on a mental level takes some time. I could see in training a different player in the last week or two and he has shown that today. I believe going forward he always looked dangerous. 

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Alexis was not alone in providing a perennial threat to the Leicester defence. Alongside him, Walcott also produced an outstanding display.

This may have been Walcott’s best performance as a central striker to date. Against the ponderous pair of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, he was always likely to cause problems with his runs in-behind. However, what was particularly noteworthy was the way he sought to match their muscularity. The England international showed a hitherto-unseen willingness and ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play.

It seems that Walcott must have spent a good deal of the time he spent rehabbing from anterior cruciate ligament surgery working on his upper body strength.

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Walcott and Alexis also demonstrated a growing understanding with both each other and Ozil. With the German supplying the ammunition, this pacy pair could prove difficult to stop. Talking to Arsenal.com after the game, Wenger said:

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We found the resources to equalise and after that our technical quality and the pace of our strikers gave them problems and we managed to make it 2-1 before half-time. In the second half we controlled the game and looked always like we could add another one. 

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Although Olivier Giroud emerged from the substitutes bench to sweep home his third goal of the season, it’s difficult to envisage him displacing Walcott for the Champions League tie with Olympiacos. Arsenal seem to pose a more varied threat when they employ the speed of the Englishman rather than the sturdiness of the Frenchman. What’s more, Walcott is beginning to show that his game is about more than just pace.

Throw in Alexis, and Arsenal might have the fastest couple of forwards on the continent. Now it’s time to see if they can replicate this sparkling Premier League performance in European competition.

 

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.