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Analysing Alexis Sanchez’s instrumental display in Arsenal’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea
Was it ever really going to be anybody else?
The man that has been at the heart of Arsenal’s team this season, keeping them within touching distance of the top-four for so long and being the architect of their FA Cup run, stood up once again in the big games to lead his side to victory.
Within five minutes of the first whistle Alexis Sanchez had already made an impact on the FA Cup final, popping up determinedly and getting on the end of his own knock-down to touch into the corner.
And this merely set the tone for an influential afternoon’s work from the Chilean, leading by example from the front of the pitch and setting the precedent for his teammates to follow suit.
The 28-year-old is one player that you can always count on turning up for the big occasion and delivering – something that the likes of Eden Hazard can’t say after Saturday’s final – and this has been no truer than this year, with Sanchez scoring in the FA Cup quarters, semis and now the final.
His opening effort took his tally across all competitions this season to 30 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches, an astonishing return for a man who has been criticised for a lack of commitment at times.
Although the manner of this goal didn’t come without controversy – as it arguably was a handball in the build-up – he still had the determination to follow his own flick over the Chelsea back-line and the tenacity to shout the offside Aaron Ramsey out of the way before slotting neatly into the corner.
This simply served to boost his confidence for the remainder of the match, dropping deep and playing a true playmaker role, finding the runs of Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil with impressive regularity.
You could tell that he was giving an extra 10% than normal, battling for every ball and chasing after every lost cause, even out-muscling N’Golo Kante more than once – which is certainly no mean feat.
Not only was his contribution on the ball crucial in Arsenal’s victorious day, he showed a sense of leadership that the Gunners have been crying out for in a disappointing Premier League campaign.
He roused the crowd when on the attack, he patted his teammates on the back when they made a positive contribution and urged his side to slow the play down and not rush once they gained a lead.
It’s impossible to argue that Sanchez has become the heartbeat of this Arsenal side, and if he were in fact to leave the Emirates over the summer there are serious question marks that he is irreplaceable.
His desire from start to finish at Wembley truly was exemplary, and for one of the first times this season the entire Arsenal side recognised this and raised their own individual games to match him.
It’s arguable that, if he hadn’t run himself into the ground for the opening 75 minutes of the match, he could have managed a hat-trick with the gaps that ten-man Chelsea were forced to leave at the back.
But this won’t bother the Chilean in the slightest, successfully – and deservedly – earning his second FA Cup winners’ medal at Arsenal, and maybe for a few days he can put his uncertain future to one side.
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