Alexis Sanchez Finds England More Competitive, But Excels In First Season At Arsenal


Alexis Sanchez took little time to settle down to life in England, but he still thinks the Premier League is more competitive than Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A.

Sanchez picked London over Liverpool when he left Barcelona for Arsenal last summer, and as Arsenal head to Wembley for a FA Cup final date with Aston Villa on Saturday week, the Chilean striker can look back with pride on what has proved a successful first season in English football.

Sanchez, who marked his 50th appearance for Arsenal in the 0-0 Premier League draw against Sunderland at the Emirates on Wednesday, leads the Gunners in scoring (24 goals) and assists (12) this season, and he’s already looking forward to a long successful stay at Arsenal.

That could start with the FA Cup next week, and Sanchez, 26, played a key part in getting Arsenal to the final after scoring twice to get the Gunners past Reading in the semi final. Sixteen of his goals have come in the Premier League, making him the 5th highest scorer in the league, and he also scored three times in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign.

Although Sanchez arrived at Arsenal with a big reputation – after playing in both Italy and Spain – it’s still remarkable that he’s quickly made such an impressive impact in a league he himself considers more competitive than La Liga. As he explains in an interview with arsenal.com.

“When I played for Barcelona, I knew that some home games were going to be easier than some others as the team had plenty of confidence. That confident mentality helped Barcelona players to win games. However, a confident mentality may not be enough when it comes to the Premier League. Your opponent is going to run and fight endlessly, regardless of your confidence levels.”

Competitive or not, Sanchez as proved he can more than match the best of the English game. That would not surprise those that have followed Sanchez’s from teenage prodigy in Chile, through a successful five year spell with Udinese in Serie A, and then three years playing alongside Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta, and crew at Barcelona. At every stage, Sanchez has been outstanding, entertaining with his energetic, creative style, and he’s also proved his mettle at international level, scoring two goals for Chile at the last World Cup in Brazil.

Sanchez won both the La Liga title and Copa del Rey in his time with Barcelona, but the arrival of Luis Suarez from Liverpool meant his time at the Nou Camp was up. For a while, it seemed Sanchez would be making a trip in the opposite direction – Liverpool were interested in taking him to Anfield, to replace Suarez – but Sanchez chose Arsenal instead, reportedly because he preferred to live in the capital.

No doubt, Liverpool’s loss has been Arsenal’s gain.

(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

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