The £35 million man, signed by Arsene Wenger from FC Barcelona in the 2014 summer transfer window, had a superb season with Arsenal in his first campaign playing in England.
The ex-Barcelona and Udinese star competed in a total of 52 matches and got the bulk of his 25 goals in the Premier League, scoring 16 times in 35 league games. Four goals were scored in nine Champions League matches as well as four goals in six FA Cup ties as Arsenal went on to win the cup for the second time in a row. The remaining goal was scored in Sanchez’s sole game in the Capital One Cup. In fact, the only competition Sanchez did not score a goal in was the Community Shield victory against Manchester City, in which he only played one half.
Whilst the sheer number of goals is in itself impressive, it is the variety in the types scored by Sanchez that makes the achievement the more awesome. He did not simply ‘pad his stats’ with penalties and tap-ins, which is not to degrade the value of those types of goals; the Chilean scored free-kicks, long-range screamers, cute finishes and even a late-run-into-the-box header for good measure.
In addition, Sanchez scored goals that had some real magnitude to them as well. The only goal scored in the two-legged tie against Besiktas, which earned Arsenal their place in the Champions League group stages was scored by the Chilean, his first goal which opened his Gunners account.
Whilst that particular goal was of a supreme importance for Arsene Wenger’s men, it was a goal that should have been saved had Zengin in the Besiktas goal been more aware as the goalkeeper ended up diving over the ball and, as such, that goal does not make it onto this list of aesthetically pleasing Sanchez goals.
Which goals do make the list?
Goal Five: Arsenal vs Manchester City:
The strike against the 2013-2014 champions, Manchester City put Arsenal 2-1 up against the Citizens only for Martin Demichelis to equalize late on with a header from a corner. Both sides came away from the encounter with a point for their efforts but Sanchez’s goal was memorable as it was his first goal that showed just what a player Arsenal had signed following two more simple finishes against Besiktas and Leicester.
Mesut Ozil threaded a pass to the feet of Ramsey, who then deftly chipped the ball into the box only for Manchester City captain, Vincent Kompany, to clear it away from their area with a commanding header. As the team in sky blue began to push up in an attempt to vacate their area, Wilshere headed the ball back into the box and onto Sanchez, who was played onside by Pablo Zabaleta.
With the ball falling awkwardly for Sanchez and with no time to take a touch, the Chilean forward adjusted his feet and took Wilshere’s headed pass on the volley, side-footing the ball into the right-top corner of Joe Hart’s goal, following which the Chilean took off his shirt to celebrate. The goal scorer himself would say that the goal was worth the yellow card that followed the celebration.
Goal Four: Arsenal - Southampton:
This goal was a free-kick scored by Sanchez in the third round of the Capital One Cup, more commonly known as the League Cup. 30-yards out from goal at the Emirates Stadium in North London, a foul was conceded by Southampton in the inside-left channel of the pitch to which Sanchez and Podolski were standing over. The German took the wise decision in allowing the Chilean to take responsibility.
Sanchez picked out the left top corner with a precise, curling effort from this dead-ball effort which was so perfectly struck that Fraser Forster in the Southampton net did not even bother to fling his considerable frame in the direction of the shot in an attempt to save it.
Unfortunately for Sanchez and Arsenal, the wonder goal scored by the Chilean would be Arsenal’s only goal whereas the Saints replied with two more, courtesy of a Dusan Tadic penalty and an arguably better goal by recent Liverpool signing, Nathaniel Clyne.
Goal Three: Arsenal vs Hull City:
Sanchez found particular joy in match-ups against Hull, scoring four goals in three games against the Tigers with at least one goal in each game. This particular goal was the opening goal in a disappointing 2-2 draw at the Emirates but it was an effort that was incredibly easy on the eye.
The Chilean forward received the ball on the right channel of the pitch and was isolated against Hull captain, Curtis Davies. With a slight touch of the ball, Sanchez made out like he was going to dribble across the box only to execute some rapid-fire step-overs and go back on the outside of Davies who, in desperation, flung a leg out to tackle the ball.
The Chilean evaded the tackle with embarrassing ease and, from what appeared to be an awkward angle from which it would be nigh-on-impossible to score, found the bottom corner of Steve Harper’s net with a fierce, low drive.
Goal Two: Arsenal - Liverpool:
The eight minute spell between Bellerin’s goal and the end of the first half against Liverpool was a patch of play as good as any other in recent Arsenal history. A tight, competitive game was settled as three goals were quickly scored, killing off Liverpool’s hopes of making top four and solidifying Arsenal’s position. The game would eventually finish 4-1 in Arsenal's favour.
Sanchez’s goal made it 3-0 and the move was a swift, incisive counter-attack, with two passes and a shot enough for the ball to go from the half-way line to the inside of Mignolet’s goal.
Bellerin fizzed a pass into the feet of Ramsey, who took the strong pass aptly with his back to goal, turning with his first touch - a precise outside-the-boot control with his right boot. With his second touch, Ramsey then rolled the ball into Sanchez’s path with his left foot.
Liverpool defender, Kolo Toure sensed the danger and decided to dive in in order to rob the ball from Sanchez’s possession but the Arsenal man was one step ahead.
The Chilean’s first touch evaded the Ivorian defender and, as the ball bobbled up on the Emirates turf, Sanchez struck the ball on the edge of the ‘D’ with such ferocity and accuracy, that by the time Mignolet had reacted by putting a hand up, the ball had already hit the middle of the net. It was the power of the strike rather than the placement that beat the ex-Sunderland goal keeper; he simply was beaten as soon as the ball was hit.
Goal One: Arsenal - Aston Villa:
Big games are usually settled by big players, who thrive on the biggest of occasions. In Arsenal’s most important game of the season, the FA Cup final against Aston Villa, it was Alexis Sanchez who scored the second goal, the proverbial nail in the coffin that sealed Aston Villa’s fate on that May day in Wembley. The game ended in the emphatic score line of 4-0, highlighting just how dominant Arsenal were against Aston Villa on that day.
Ozil collected the ball on the right-channel, having drifted from the centre of the pitch and passed the ball to Theo Walcott. The English forward, who played as the striker for Arsenal that day, turned with the ball and ran at Villa’s defence. Ron Vlaar tackled the ball away from Walcott and the ball bounced into a space between Hutton and Sanchez.
Sanchez’s awareness and pace was too much for the Scotsman and the Chilean beat him to the ball. As soon as Arsenal’s number 17 got onto the ball, Monreal began a darting run down the left to get the attention of Hutton, his opposition full back. For some reason, Tom Cleverley decided he too would track Monreal’s run and that provided Sanchez with enough space to do what he did next, as two players had backed off.
About 30-yards out, Sanchez decided to take a shot at Shay Given’s goal and one second later, the ball was in the goal, having hit off the crossbar in the middle of the goal in dramatic fashion.
If a goal keeper concedes a goal in the middle then it tends to be his fault, but the swerve Sanchez applied on the strike when he hit it with the force he did totally deceived the Irish international who began to move to his right before the ball boomeranged to his left, rendering Given helpless.