Manchester United 2-1 AFC Bournemouth: 5 Talking Points & Analysis

#2 Alexis Sanchez finds a suitable role amidst the crisis at the tip of the attack

These three teed up well for the third goal

For the majority of his career at Manchester United, Alexis Sanchez has cut a frustrated figure for being unable to get into the thick of the things. A player who was probably one of the top three players in the Premier League a year ago, Sanchez’s frustrations are quite understandable at the moment. He has already been troubled by two injuries in this season so far.

The Chilean returned to the lineup to play as the striker in the absence of Romelu Lukaku. It could be argued that he had the expected impact, or a relatively better one than the Belgian whilst playing through the centre and from the right wing. Despite his short stature, Sanchez was aerially strong and held the ball effectively well to bring the wingers into play. His linkup was good enough and looked to deliver good lateral deliveries into the box too.

Sanchez’s interlinking with Ashley Young and the assist to Martial was exactly the sort of movement that one would expect from a Manchester United forward. Right now, the team heavily relies on Martial to provide the goals and in this sort of a situation, someone from the forward line needs to assist the Frenchman in delivering those goals.

So far, Martial has depended on Pogba to provide him with the required deliveries in and around the box. Given the fact that Sanchez himself has been unable to match his goal-scoring standards of the past, it would be a boon to the team if he dons the supporter’s role to Martial. The former Arsenal star did a good job from the right flank after Rashford’s introduction.

In fact, there was a period in the second half when United managed to maintain a spell of pressure over Bournemouth because Sanchez recovered the ball near the halfway line.

The first goal was also a result of him dropping deep, winning the ball, linking up with the fullback and then delivering an accurate pass to carve a way back into the game. Considering Lukaku’s constant struggles in front of the goal, maybe giving Sanchez a run through the middle or from the right wouldn’t be a bad idea currently.