Theo Walcott expects Alexis Sanchez to get his name on the scoresheet many times in the future, but insists there is more to the Arsenal forward than goals.
The Chile international enjoyed a mightily impressive debut season in England following his £35million move from Barcelona last summer, hitting 25 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions. The last of these came in the FA Cup final against Aston Villa in May, but he had failed to add to his tally in the seven matches he had played leading up to Saturday’s fixture.
However, Sanchez certainly found his shooting boots against Leicester City, scoring three times as the Gunners came back from a goal down to beat Claudio Ranieri’s high-fliers 5-2. Theo Walcott was the man who ensured Arsene Wenger’s side didn’t trail for long when he levelled Jamie Vardy’s opener, but the Arsenal forward was quick to praise his team-mate after the match.
“I am sure he is going to flourish now with many, many more important goals,” said the England international, who now has 12 goals in his last 13 appearances. “It has been a long time coming, he knows that himself. But he is very pleased. He is a top-quality player and even when he is not scoring goals he works so hard for us. He tracks back and does a lot for the team.”
This was Arsenal’s fourth victory from their opening seven Premier League matches, and it was enough to see them in fourth place at this early stage. Wenger’s side, who have not won the title since 2004, are just three points adrift of leaders Manchester United, who travel to the Emirates Stadium next Sunday afternoon in one of the league’s most anticipated fixtures of the season.
