London: Thierry Henry has given Alexis Sanchez the ultimate endorsement by declaring the Chilean his long-awaited successor at Arsenal.
Sanchez’s exhilarating start to life in the Barclays Premier League has been one of the themes of the season and Henry saw at first hand on Sunday, in the 3-0 demolition of Stoke City, just how much the Emirates Stadium reveres the forward.
His deadly finishing, electrifying change of pace and raw power have led to comparisons with Henry, the greatest striker in the club’s history. And the Frenchman believes the comparisons are justified.
Arsenal have had good forwards since Henry left for Barcelona in 2007 — not least Robin van Persie — but Sanchez is threatening to be truly exceptional and Henry, who scored 228 times for the club, believes manager Arsene Wenger now has another figure with the X-factor.
Henry, who will begin his new career as a pundit on Sunday, said: “Arsenal were looking for a player to deliver on a daily basis and they have found one. He is brilliant. He can read the game incredibly, as you saw with the goal on Sunday, and his work-rate is fantastic.
“He scores goals and doesn’t need a lot of opportunities to put the ball in the net. That is very important.
“He is a very, very good player and you know that if he is on tune, then Arsenal have a lot of chances to win the game. I am trying to think if there has been a better signing in the last five or six years. It is still early days, but so far it is very good. He is doing extremely well. He is going to score goals, but it is his all-round game that I am so impressed with. That has no price.
“Arsenal fans have been waiting to have a player like that. Finally they have one. He struggled at the beginning, like everybody, but when he got into a rhythm, you can see the quality. We should all be happy with him. He is going to be a great player for many years.”
The question now, though, is focused on the quality around him. Wenger may have finally been able to put Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott on a pitch for the first time on Sunday, but are Arsenal in danger of becoming too reliant on their £35 million (Dh195 million) striker?
“No,” Henry replied bluntly. “In some of the games when he hasn’t appeared, Arsenal have won. Sanchez didn’t have a great game against West Ham — and they won. He didn’t have a great game against QPR — and they won. So there you go.”
That might be true, but Henry accepted that when he was the spearhead of one of the greatest teams English football has seen, quality and support were all around him. This squad need to show they have the class to dispel the doubts.
“It has to be a team effort,” he said. “They don’t seem so far away. Having said that, they are still some distance from the first spot. It is going to take a team effort to get there.’
Henry was in Zurich on Monday for the Ballon d’Or award ceremony, an event that seemed to have more glitz and sparkle than a Hollywood premiere. His main duty was to hand over the trophy to Cristiano Ronaldo.
On the subject of Hollywood, talk inevitably turned to Steven Gerrard’s imminent move to LA Galaxy. A four-year stint in MLS with New York Red Bulls leaves Henry well placed to explain what the Liverpool captain can expect in California.
“He will arrive in a team that is already on tune,” said Henry. “They have either been winning or losing in the final every year and are a very good organisation.”
— Daily Mail
