Alexis Sanchez will boost Chelsea’s offence but does not solve the big issue

Alexis Sanchez came alive against Crystal Palace, scoring a second-half brace to give Arsenal the win. His performance showed all of the reasons Chelsea should buy him, but also why he cannot be Chelsea’s only offensive purchase in January.

The impending transfer window brought out the best from Alexis Sanchez and Mezut Ozil on Thursday night. Ozil added two tackles to his usual four key passes, while Sanchez pressed Crystal Palace deep in their zone en route to a two-goal night. Both players looked like they had something to prove. We’ll leave it to Arsenal fans and Graeme Souness to decide if Sanchez, in particular, was trying to prove a point to his teammates or to his many suitors.

Sanchez looked like a burlier version of Eden Hazard as he ran through Crystal Palace’s conventionally sturdy defence. As he pinned Palace’s defenders in their third, negating what little inclination they had to play the ball out, he was a more focussed and more threatening version of Pedro.

His similarities to Chelsea’s wingers extended to the liability he contributed to Arsenal’s front-line, though. Sanchez, Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette played up top in Arsenal’s 3-4-3. Sanchez stands 1.69 meters tall – the same as Pedro, the Blues’ shortest winger. Lacazette is 1.75 meters, the same as Chelsea’s tallest winger. Only Ozil at 1.8 meters is taller than any of Chelsea’s front three in the false-nine formation.

Roy Hodgson knew Arsenal would not have the height to pose an aerial threat in front of Julian Speroni unless they brought on Olivier Giroud. As a result, Crystal Palace let Arsenal play the ball wide, and did not pursue the Gunners if they cycled the ball towards midfield. Palace kept their defence tight and narrow through the centre of the pitch. This was an effective strategy through the first half, even after Shkodran Mustafi put Arsenal ahead.

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If Hodgson’s defensive tactic sounds familiar, that’s because it is similar to how Sam Allardyce organized Everton to shut down Chelsea. With Alvaro Morata suspended for the trip to Goodison Park, Chelsea had no aerial threat. Everton shut down the passing lanes along the ground, taking away the through-balls, one-two’s and dribbling space the Blues’ small, tricky wingers need. The main difference is Crystal Palace occasionally came out, which allowed Arsenal to attack them while they were open and exposed. Hodgson, unlike Allardyce, actually went after this game.

Alexis Sanchez put on a perfect demonstration of how he and Eden Hazard would be a perfect pair alongside Alvaro Morata on Chelsea’s front line. Sanchez brought Ozil up into the play, making Ozil look like a serviceable forward instead of his usual playmaker role. Alongside Hazard, Sanchez could similarly pull Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater or Cesc Fabregas into the attack while trading quick passes with Hazard and Alvaro Morata.

However, if Morata is injured or unavailable, Sanchez will not add anything new to Antonio Conte’s options. Sanchez will be no more a target man than Eden Hazard is as a false-nine. The Blues will still not have a reference point, nor a real option for an aerial attack. Arsenal lacked both against Crystal Palace, as neither Sanchez nor Lacazette became the focal point for the rest of the team’s offensive thrust.

Alexis Sanchez should still be one of Chelsea’s top transfer targets in January. He clearly wants to leave Arsenal, he could do great things at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea cannot allow him to join Manchester City. However, he cannot be the only offensive addition to the squad. The Blues still need a back-up to Alvaro Morata – a true centre-forward in both height and style of play.

Next: Van Dijk, Azpilicueta, Salah: View Chelsea's transfers in context, not hindsight

Otherwise, uncreative but effective English defences will continue to stifle Chelsea easily, as two uncreative but effective English managers have demonstrated.