Though Manchester United have got the better player, which has to be said without a doubt, the point that I wish to make here is regarding to this and the upcoming season. No, I am not going to point out at the fact that Henrikh Mkhitaryan has more Europa League goals and make a mockery of myself, but I would like to highlight a few genuine points, that give Arsenal the advantage by signing this star, till the end of the season and the next, at least.
Here are my three reasons why Arsene Wenger has played really smart and gotten a good deal, for a player who was destined to leave the Emirates, now or at the end of the season
3. Unhappy Team-mates-
The Red Devils have a lot of talented stars like Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, along with the likes of Ander Herrera (who generally does not play upfront too often these days), who are trying hard to make a name for themselves and play for the first team. However, with the addition of Alexis Sanchez to the squad, the future of some of these top stars at Old Trafford, comes once again under scrutiny and it might make some of them leave for regular football.
On the other hand, the Gunners will try to add even more players to fill the void left by their talisman, along with Walcott and the Armenian star should get his set of chances to prove himself and link-up with the likes of Ozil, Wilshere and Ramsey, creating chances for Lacazette and Giroud.
2. Jose Mourinho’s Style Of Play-
Is it any secret that Mourinho does not play an attacking style of football and Sanchez might have to be pushed back many a times, as the Portuguese manager will want to make runs from his own half and try to score goals. Though the winger is really good at that, he might not always prefer this style of play, with Lukaku being the main man up front. This might not actually work out for United and we may see some kind of change in the tactics or playing eleven.
On the other hand, the ex Borussia Dortmund man would be relived that he has left a club that has not utilized his services well and he has been mainly a bench warmer, though he could have really offered so much more for his former team.
1. Compatibility-
Not saying that Lukaku is not a good player, yet, Sanchez would have preferred feeding in balls and making runs like he did at Arsenal. He will have to adjust to a system and style of play that he has not really been a part of. He was previously at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola (totally opposite style) and has never played a manager, as defence minded as Mourinho.
For Mkhitaryan’s case, the message will be to push forward and score goals, playing the “Arsenal way”, which he should really enjoy and will easily fit into Wenger’s team. He had already flourished so well under the attack minded tactics of Jurgen Klopp, during the duo’s time at Dortmund, something that he might be given an opportunity to relive now.
Hopefully, he can now get the chances that he deserves and make an impact, reviving his career at north London.
