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Arsenal v Chelsea: 5 talking points

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: Eden Hazard of Chelsea on the shoulders of Mesut Ozil of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on January 24, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: Eden Hazard of Chelsea on the shoulders of Mesut Ozil of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on January 24, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Hull City and Arsenal at KCOM Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Hull, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Hull City and Arsenal at KCOM Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Hull, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /

3. Alexis Sanchez has to play like a striker

The debate can rage on as to whether or not Alexis Sanchez is a striker or should only play as an attacking midfield. No matter what, he has to play like a real centre forward against Chelsea this weekend.

Olivier Giroud is probably going to miss the match due to injury, and Lucas Perez isn’t ready for this kind of pressure yet. That leaves the Chilean attacker as Arsene Wenger’s only choice to lead the line.

We know that Alexis is capable of scoring goals from anywhere, but there’s more to being a striker than just finding the back of the net. He also needs to keep his team in possession of the ball for long stretches. That will require him to be more physical than normal.

Being forced to play that way may not sit well with Alexis, but he needs to suck it up in the short-term. If he tries to cover too much ground Chelsea will dominate the Gunners in terms of possession. That’s a surefire way for Arsenal to come out on the short end of the stick.

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