Few players people are as inspirational as Alexis Sanchez. Sure, there are instances of brilliance from Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla, that make you feel privileged to be at the cool party. Some sumptuous passing or dazzling volleys fill you with adrenaline and pleasure, like a brief high.
But, in my opinion, no one man at Arsenal has truly shone as he has, like Alexis. There’s something about the Chilean you cannot hate, even if you support Chelsea. He doesn’t whim. He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t hunt for excuses. Even if he amputates his legs, you’d feel he would get up and “get on with it”, so to say.
There’s something surreal in the ethic of getting back on the horse through sheer labour. Everyone in this world has been fed the “try till you succeed” adage, so much so that they began to question its authenticity. The belief of grinding your way to good times begins to seem more idealistic than realistic.
Alexis Sanchez disproves that smidgen of conspiracy from germinating. From covering the most distances in most games, to shrugging off every knock or missed chance as an occupational hazard, the guy will never give up. Even last year, when the stadium’s volatile atmosphere infected itself on the players, Alexis was the only one who proved immune. A post-match quote from Arsene Wenger summed him up – “A break makes him tired!”
What an absolute man-beast Sanchez is proving to be. In these modern footballing times, increased player conditioning and on-pitch simulation has meant that finding a player who keeps his head down and works hard, is a rarity. We should be chuffed we have one of those on our side.
It’s impossible to feel anything but happy for him. In the six games he went without a significant contribution, it was apparent he was trying to drag himself back into form. He got his mojo back after an assist for Ozil – who was yet again so world-class it’s becoming tiring to point it out. With Zagreb rocking, Sanchez then rounded off Arsenal’s second, founded and co-owned by Nacho Monreal.
The third was owing to good work by Joel Campbell, who probably had his best Arsenal game ever. Most of it was probably down to Campbell being pitted against a wing-back in the wrong position, but his link-ups with Ozil were yet encouraging to see. One can only hope he can carry this on, since the returning Aaron Ramsey may play in central midfield after his return from injury.
I’m lesser bullish about Campbell’s Arsenal future (as most are), but he may have something to learn from Alexis’ traits. Who’s to say Campbell toiling on the training ground would reveal nothing out of the ordinary? The Costa Rican has a sensational chance to make his mark on London’s finest – possibly the best opportunity he’d get in his career. Regardless of my opinions on his talent, it’s nice to see him reacting favourably to it.
The 3-0 win – coupled with Bayern’s thumping of Olympiacos – means that finishing second is now entirely in our hands. Win at Greece by more than a solitary goal, and progression in the Champions League is guaranteed. Fail, and we’d have no one but ourselves to blame.
It’s feasible we botch it up from here. After all we’ve failed to get anything from Olympiacos in their backyard, the last couple of times we went there. But fail or not, I sure hope we put in a shift there if things go south, just like Alexis.
-Santi [Follow me on Twitter @ArsenalBlogz ]
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