For weeks, Alexis Sanchez has been the target of anger from onlookers who blamed him - amongst others - for letting Arsene Wenger and his side down. Petulant behaviour and a general air of world-weariness isn’t a good look on a professional footballer, and yet the Chilean international’s return of 29 goals and 15 assists in all competitions is really quite stunning. Especially for a team who came fifth in the league.

Arsenal’s season comes down to this one game on Saturday evening, too. The Gunners will not be in next season’s Champions League, there was no hint of a title challenge, there are protests against the manager and the chairman, and even the players have been the subject of ire from an exasperated group of fans. And yet, cup finals shouldn’t be about anything beyond the glory of winning and savouring the moment of lifting a famous old trophy.

The Gunners are far from favourites, though. Not only are they taking on the most ruthlessly efficient side in the Premier League, but they are also short most of their starting centre-backs. You get the feeling that if they keep Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro at bay, it will have been a superhuman effort. Either that or sheer dumb luck.

But that doesn’t mean the game will be won and lost only in Arsenal’s defensive third. It’s not like Wenger doesn’t have attacking quality at his disposal. In fact, in Alexis Sanchez, he has one of the most deadly players in the league.

It’s about movement and the Chilean’s canny knack of getting his foot onto the ball at the right time. His explosive qualities are well-known, as is his ability on the ball, but of all the players in the Premier League this season, only Christian Benteke has scored more goals from inside the six-yard box.

The idea of Alexis Sanchez as a poacher or a fox in the box is an odd one, but there are ways to explain it. His movement and intelligence to ghost away from defenders is one thing, but his anticipation and ability to react first to a dropping ball in the box is most important. There’s also his lethality when it comes to putting those chances away: those eight goals from inside the six-yard box come from only 12 shots.

To put that into context, Benteke’s nine strikes from that distance have come from 19 attempts and Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s Argentine talisman, has scored five times in 17 shots from inside the six-yard box, whilst Premier League golden boot winner twice in a row, Harry Kane, has six from 14. It might sound surprising that such top strikers have missed so many chances from such close range, but that goes to show just how deadly Sanchez has been this season.

That’s especially important against a team like Chelsea, who have conceded fewer shots than every team except Liverpool and Manchester City this season; taking chances when they come is crucial. Beyond that, though, six-yard box goals are usually scrappy affairs, breaking balls from blocked shots or flick-ons, and against a team who have such a solid defence, that might just be Arsenal’s best hope.

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