Here at Stretford End it’s time to review how each Manchester United player fared during the 2018-19 season. Over the course of the season, some players performed better than others. But undoubtedly, a few were more consistent. And it’s time to take a look at an individual analysis for each and every single player that saw regular (or semi-regular) action within the first team during the current term.
We began the series taking a look at David De Gea and we also checked on Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones. We also looked at Marcos Rojo and Paul Pogba. Now it’s time to analyse an attacker, and it’s none other than Alexis Sanchez.
What do the numbers say?
Alexis was Manchester United’s biggest acquisition during the January transfer window, as the Chile international joined The Red Devils from Arsenal in a transfer that sent Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the Emirates Stadium. However, he did not perform on that level. While he spent most of the second half of the season as a regular starter, his numbers didn’t reflect the caliber of player that he is.
Sanchez registered 12 Premier League appearances for Manchester United, all of them as a starter, with two goals and three assists. He also added six more appearances between the Champions League and the FA Cup, and scored once. All things considered, he played in 18 games and finished with three goals and three assists. That’s… not very good. Especially considering the kind of player he is.
Was he an important player for the club?
Important? Not so much. He was a player that caught the eye of opposing defences and also had some stellar displays – like his two-assist performance against Manchester City – but overall, the Chilean star wasn’t able to live up to the expectations. He did play regularly as a starter, but he fell short of what both fans and pundits expected out of a player of his caliber.
Projection for the 2018-19 season
Will the upcoming season be a make-or-break one for Alexis? That’s tough to say since he has been in the club less than six months. But there is no question that he needs to play better. After all, we’re talking about the highest-paid player in the entire Premier League. There are expectations for him, and he is yet to meet them.
However, Sanchez has always been a slow starter. It took him two years to settle in Udinese, and one year each to settle at Barcelona and Arsenal. The player himself acknowledged that he struggled to adjust to life in Manchester because he was “in a much bigger club” compared to Arsenal, but fans should wait for him. He is worth it. And we can expect big things from the Chilean next season.
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