Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Alexis Sanchez has accepted playing as a centre forward this season better than Gunners legend Thierry Henry, who actually needed initial persuasion that he suited a central role more than on the left wing.
Wenger had his doubts because previous experiments with Sanchez as a 'number nine' largely failed, but the Frenchman has been rewarded for persisting with his vision.
"Sanchez was happy out wide because in his head he was a wide player. When I moved him, honestly it was not a problem. He accepted very well," Wenger is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph as the Chilean prepares to lead the line once moreagainst Stoke.
"I had to persuade Thierry. I don't know if it's my greatest achievement. You see the guy who plays wide can score goals that he can in the centre score even more goals."
After two promising years, Henry found his stride as Arsenal's leading forward in the double winning 2001/02 campaign when he scored 24 Premier League goals and collected the first of four Golden Boots - Sanchez has 11 so far in 2016/17 and jointly leads the league.
Wenger said of Sanchez, "He has developed very well as a centre-forward because he has found a good mixture between being coming off and going in behind and he has more freedom as well and he takes advantage of his short technique in the middle much more.
"At the start of the season he took advantage of the fact that Olivier Giroud was not here (after Euro 2016) and not ready so I could give him more games," he added.
Certainly, no one is any longercriticising Wenger for the summer's failed attempts to sign Jamie Vardy, Alexandre Lacazette or another high profilestriker.
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