When a club signs a player for around £35million there is not only a level of expectation but a complete necessity for success. Fans expect goals, yes, but also a certain amount of entertainment, a reason to go to watch a player in the flesh to see his brilliance first hand and understand the quality that money spent wisely can buy.
Alexis Sanchez wins Deserved PFA Fans’ Player of the Year
Having been named The PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, Arsenal hero Alexis Sanchez has evidently done something right. In fact, it is more than something. His work rate, ability to keep hold of the ball in seemingly impossible circumstances, score exceptional goals, pick up assists; the list goes on. What’s perhaps most impressive is his seamless adaptation to life in the Premier League. It’s fair to say, Alexis’ first season at Arsenal has been a colossal success.
Unique circumstances are to be thanked for this move ever being a possibility. If it weren’t for a truly exceptional forward three at Barcelona it seems unlikely that the La Liga side would have been willing to let such talent slip away from them. Fortunately, a trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar seemed to suffice for Luis Enrique and Barcelona, and another truly “big” signing could be welcomed at The Emirates. With Mesut Özil and an array of already existent midfield talent to accompany him, great things seem destined for Arsenal and optimism was rightly felt by the fans.
A Champions League qualifier, perhaps an underwhelming game for some, was the setting for Alexis Sanchez’s first goal in an Arsenal shirt. As more goals followed so did the plaudits and it seemed impossible to find any form of criticism for the Chilean. Alexis Sanchez seemed unstoppable, not only Arsenal fans adored his way of playing, but football fans as whole saw him as a breath of talented fresh air to the Premier League.
Of course, cynicism is rife in a fanbase which has failed to see their side win a domestic title in over a decade and as with Mesut Özil, weaknesses in Alexis’ game simply had to be found. It’s a classic argument and, let’s face it, usually a weak one: “he doesn’t do it in big games”. Eden Hazard, the PFA Player Player of the Year (and rightly so) was often a source of comparison to Alexis, with one advantage supposedly being his all-round consistency, most especially so in the “big games”.
A quick glance at the teams he scored against tells you that he indeed was a little limited in goals against the likes of Chelsea and Man United as well as an off night against Monaco in the Champions League and well, that’s about it. Even in these games to label him entirely useless would not only be cruel but entirely untrue. His constant desire to win the ball back and work as hard as possible doesn’t just disappear when he’s not scoring, it’s perhaps merely forgotten about and his performance is looked at too simplistically. Despite this, his contribution of 24 goals in all competitions, including a vital two goals in what was certainly a “big game” in the FA Cup semi-final ridicule the argument anyway. After all, this is a player who can produce truly memorable goals in El Clásico — the biggest game on the planet.
Whilst even Alexis has been unable to escape some extremely harsh criticism and failed to pip Eden Hazard to the outright player of the year award, his receiving the Fans’ Player of the Year award says a lot about the player he is. On a football pitch, he genuinely looks like he enjoys playing and more importantly from a fan’s perspective, is working towards the same euphoria fans want to feel at every game.
Take his goal against the big team Manchester City. Not only was the technique for the goal impeccable, but his sheer joy at having scored it was shared well and truly by the Arsenal fans. At this point, he’d barely been at the club two months but already seemed to have a clear understanding of what it meant to the club and fans alike.
Once a player has a taste of this success he knows what and for whom he is working. Alexis is a player who will earn his success at Arsenal and is driven like few other players in the league. His willpower to impress for Arsenal could be his most deadly attribute and it makes an an already talented player become exceptional.
Arsene Wenger can certainly be happy at a truly great signing. Although The Gunners fell disappointingly short of a real league title push, Sanchez is not only an extraordinary player but also a marker of ambition for the club. Mesut Özil ended one trend and started another — the notion that Wenger won’t spend big money has been alleviated considerably and now fans grow expectant of what is to come this summer.
With the FA Cup final on Saturday comes the chance for the £35million man to further endear himself to Arsenal fans through retaining the FA Cup. Christian Benteke may be causing Arsenal “sleepless nights” according to Ashley Westwood, but Alexis Sanchez should be causing Aston Villa nightmares too. Opposition players know when they face him they are in for an exhausting game and constant hassle when they have the ball. They also know that anticipating exactly how he will perform and equally how to stop him, on his day, is verging on an impossible task.
The PFA Fans’ Player of The Year now has his final chance of the season to enhance his heroic status at the club and having seen what he is capable of so far, there is every chance he will take it.
