Sanchez hits hat-trick as Arsenal score five against Leicester

Kayode Ogundele
Kayode Ogundele
Alexis Sanchez with Leicester

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez rediscovered his goal scoring touch as his hat-trick ended Leicester’s unbeaten start to the season.

Jamie Vardy had put the Foxes ahead with a superb finish from a tight angle after a clinical counter attack before Theo Walcott equalised when Leicester were themselves caught on the break.

Sanchez then took control of the contest with his treble – the pick his third from long range – as Vardy and Olivier Giroud netted late on.

Sanchez, who scored 25 goals last season for the Gunners, had failed to find the net in eight games across all competitions before this contest.

The result means Leicester are now without a win against Arsenal in 18 Premier League games, stretching back to November 1994.

Following a relatively subdued start to the season, Sanchez showed his undoubted quality at the King Power Stadium.

He scored his first goal of the term with a classic poacher’s effort when he tapped in from close range after good work down the right by Hector Bellerin.

From the moment the ball hit the back of the net the former Barcelona forward’s confidence came flooding back.

He appeared in dangerous areas, ran at defenders, and it was inevitable he would add to his tally later in the game.

Sanchez claimed his a second with a brave header, with his hat-trick the pick of his three goals as he struck a low, powerful shot past Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Leicester have ridden their luck somewhat in their impressive start to the season, and against one of last term’s top four it inevitably ran out.

Even when they were winning games Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri was complaining about how his side must learn to keep clean sheets.

The erudite Italian recently turned to offering pizza as an incentive for his players to increase their number of shut outs.

His culinary offerings might make quirky headlines but extra time on the training ground might be what’s required to shore up Leicester’s leaky rearguard.

Failure to do so and Leicester might find that they start to slide down the table if the goals start to dry up at the other end.

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