Arsenal’s Alexis Sánchez hits treble in destruction of Leicester City
Leicester 2 - 5 ArsenalHome team scorers
Jamie Vardy 13
Jamie Vardy 89
Away team scorers
Theo Walcott 18
Alexis Sanchez 33
Alexis Sanchez 57
Alexis Sanchez 81
Olivier Giroud 90 +2:41
With Arsène Wenger having presided over the only team to complete a Premier League season without defeat, perhaps Arsenal saw it as some kind of duty to tick off the division’s final unbeaten record. Leciester’s run fell when they came up against a team who matched their willingness for attacks at the highest velocity and added a layer of sophistication.
Arsenal also had Alexis Sánchez back to his best. The Chilean has, understandably, been tired and flatter than his most exuberant self after spending last summer winning the Copa América. But here the full sparkle was back. His first hat-trick for the club at a stadium where visiting players are not used to profiting was emphatic proof of that.
In seeking for the right word to sum up the Leicester style recently, Claudio Ranieri simply went “whooosh”, and this match was played by both teams in the spirit of whooosh football. But for all the verve that Leicester could offer, Arsenal found more.
Briefly, the essence of what makes this Leicester team tick flourished in all its glory. Bloody-minded defending was switched to a rapier attack in the blink of an eye. It was fast, committed, exciting and – most crucially of all – superbly efficient. The Foxes had a cluster of men back in their own box to repair the situation when they gave the ball away recklessly to Arsenal. N’Golo Kanté dispossessed Aaron Ramsey, who seemed to feel the challenge, and the ball was manoeuvred forward brilliantly by Danny Drinkwater. Jamie Vardy, oozing belief, headed the ball smartly to set it into his path before sweeping sweetly past Petr Cech. The happy souls in the King Power Stadium erupted.
It could have got worse for Arsenal before it got better. Another high ball caused panic in the hesitant back four, and Cech was alert enough to make an emergency clearance. Then Vardy threw his hands to his head in disbelief when a super chance to double the lead bounced off the frame of the goal.
Arsenal replied with a fine break of their own. Santi Cazorla picked up the ball inside his area and sprinted to pick up the move, after smart work from Sánchez and Mesut Özil. Cazorla assisted with a fine threaded pass and Theo Walcott’s left-foot finish faded beautifully into the far corner. The feeling persists that the England man needs a run of games to really exert his credentials as a central striker. There were other chances which didn’t quite work out, but his movement was excellent and Arsenal feel like a faster counter-attacking team all round with him as the attacking focus instead of Olivier Giroud. Walcott’s Premier League form reads 12 goals from 13 starts.
The helter skelter nature of this compelling spectacle was central for the next goal too. Leicester broke at full pelt again, Shinji Okazaki’s chested pass inviting Vardy to sprint into space again. Arsenal regained possession (leaving Vardy unimpressed as he tumbled over Laurent Koscielny) and they were away. Özil’s reverse pass for Héctor Bellerin opened Leciester up.
Although Walcott couldn’t get a clean contact on the cross, the ball fell kindly for Sánchez to slide in his first goal of the season.
Arsenal’s picked up their pacy, weaving passing after half-time and came close to another well constructed goal. Sánchez was blocked. The Chilean then drove a deflected shot onto the roof of the net after strong work holding the ball up by Walcott.
Sanchez looked desperate to score more, constantly making a nuisance of himself with his darting runs. He was rewarded with Arsenal’s third goal, designed by a peach of a lobbed pass – signature Özil – and finished with a dinked header.
His hat-trick was sealed in sensational style. A shrewd touch put the ball past Kanté, and the early strike, to drive the ball in at Kasper Schmeichel’s near post, was whipped in with great power and accuracy.
Cech was commanding to ensure there was not enough of a grandstand finish.
He showed a range of skills to deny Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Leonardo Ulloa.
But such is Leciester’s desire to be comeback kings, they did throw plenty at Arsenal late on, and Vardy scored his second a minute from time.
The visitors threw back more, and substitute Giroud coolly struck Arsenal’s fifth, the endnote to a remarkable game.
Guardian
