Barcelona Must Be Wary of Alexis Sanchez Factor vs. Arsenal in Champions League

Barcelona vs. Arsenal in the Champions League round of 16. It was predestined, wasn't it!?

The Gunners couldn't play Bayern Munich again at this stage, and it's probably not too far from the truth to suggest the one other team they really wouldn't have fancied facing would be their old foes from Catalonia.

It's been over four years since the north Londoners last crossed swords with Barca and five since Lionel Messi single-handedly destroyed them at the Camp Nou, scoring all four in a one-sided quarter-final.

But things are different now.

Arguably, Arsenal are in a much better place now than they were and are certainly in a position to mount a genuine threat to Barca's dreams of becoming the first side to retain the trophy in the modern era.

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It shouldn't be forgotten, either, that the Gunners have scored on every occasion they've played the Catalans, and on current form, they're likely to do so again.

It's a tie the entire Arsenal setup will relish, but one man more than any other will be going out of his way to ensure his former club are dumped out of the competition.

Alexis Sanchez has been Arsenal's talisman since he joined the club in a £35 million deal, per David Ornstein of BBC Sport, in 2014.

While a penchant for the spectacular has often had the locals off of their seats, it is his work rate that has most impressed the club's supporters, management and team-mates.

A few months after Sanchez's arrival, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain told the Arsenal website (via Tom Sheen of the Independent) that:

"

Alexis is a brilliant player and he does stuff that really does surprise you and you think, 'how has he got out of that one?

[...] It’s moments of brilliance like that [which show his quality] but at the same time he works harder than I think I’ve seen anyone work.

He is so skilful but he also does the defensive work up front and sets the tone.

"

Barcelona will need to be at their very best by the time the teams meet in mid-February and be particularly alert to the threat that Sanchez will pose to their back line.

The Chile international will be an intense and predatory presence throughout, especially when Barca play out from the back.

He knows better than anyone how the Blaugrana prefer to build their attacks and that playing a high line at all times is likely to unsettle Barca's back four.

Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano, should they be the preferred centre-back duo, have to be touch tight on a player who has the ability to wriggle out of almost any situation and still be a lethal presence when so doing.

Perhaps Thomas Vermaelen will get the nod against his old side, he too bringing a decent amount of knowledge on the opposition to proceedings.

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Of course, Sanchez isn't the only threat to Barca's grip on the trophy.

Mesut Ozil is way out in front of the Premier League assist table in 2015/16, per Sky Sports, and he only needs seven more between now and the end of the season to break Arsenal legend Thierry Henry's Premier League record.

The German is enjoying his best run of form in an Arsenal shirt, and it's no coincidence the Gunners top the Premier League table at the time of writing.

Quality throughout the side stretches all the way back to Petr Cech, the giant 'keeper who is also in superlative form.

He'll not want to be reminded of the "Iniestazo" that sailed past him in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final in 2009 when he played for Chelsea, but he had a revenge of sorts when Messi missed a penalty against him at the same stage three years later, a moment that swung the balance of that particular tie the way of the west Londoners.

In any event, if Barca play anywhere close to their best and have all of their best players fit and on form, they'll likely make it an uncomfortable couple of games for Arsene Wenger's men and complete a memorable hat-trick in the process.

But it won't be quite as easy as many expect.