There’s been much talk about this season about Giroud’s goal-scoring form, or lack of it, but Alexis Sanchez has thus far escaped much criticism. Even Theo Walcott has faced some criticism for failing to score at a crucial time. In 2014 Alexis opened his scoring in the Premier League against Leicester City; in 2015 he ended his drought and scored a hat trick against them.
The match against Leicester City was never going to be an easy one, or so I thought. Having gone a goal down within the first fifteen minutes at the King Power Stadium I wasn’t hopeful of the outcome. How wrong could I have been? Very wrong by all accounts.
Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy opened the scoring in the 13th minute but Theo Walcott equalised within five minutes. Then 15 minutes later Alexis did what we’d all been waiting for since the start of the season and opened his goal tally. At the half-time whistle Arsenal are sitting a little more comfortably with a goal in hand. I’m still feeling nervous though and it’s a full thirteen minutes into the second half before I can start relaxing somewhat. Yes, it’s at this point that Alexis gets a brace and Arsenal are sitting more pretty at 1-3. I think we’d all have been happy with that scoreline as an end result but the goalfest was to continue.
In the 81st minute, when Walcott was substituted for Olivier Giroud, Alexis scored a goal out of nowhere. His first hat trick in the Premier League and it’s 1-4. Then Vardy closes the gap in the 89th before Giroud stops his critics in their tracks and scores a goal in the third minute of stoppage time. Final score 2-5. Alexis is back and hopefully Arsenal are back on track too.
Sanchez hattrick! Alexis is back #LeiArs
— Copa90 (@Copa90) September 26, 2015
Alexis Sanchez has just scored his first Arsenal hat-trick. He’s back. pic.twitter.com/iJQdeHz7Ir
— FourFourTweet (@FourFourTweet) September 26, 2015
FT #LCFC 2-5 #AFC. Just what the doctor ordered. Our best attacking performance of the season – Alexis is back in a big way.
— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) September 26, 2015
GOALdotCOM: He’s BACK! Awesome Alexis hits form at the perfect time for Arsenal http://t.co/rVEBeDB57B
— EveryThingUneed2Know (@Naija_Stuff) September 26, 2015
Hat-trick hero @Alexis_Sanchez #AFC pic.twitter.com/TP5l40oiuK
— Nat (@NatG_22) September 27, 2015
Sánchez became the first player this century to have scored a hat-trick in English, Spanish and Italian football. What a player!
— Al the Gooner (@alec1271) September 27, 2015
Sanchez! Hat trick!
— Maurice Edu (@MauriceEdu) September 26, 2015
Vamos por más arsenal … we go for more Arsenal pic.twitter.com/T60ZqL0Fru
— Alexis Sánchez (@Alexis_Sanchez) September 26, 2015
PS The only downside to the game was seeing mid-week hero Mathieu Flamini heading off the field due to an injury. Let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery.