Theo Walcott: Alexis Sanchez is loving life as Arsenal's main striker - 'I can see the smile when he's playing'

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James Olley28 November 2016

Theo Walcott says Alexis Sanchez has made the position of centre-forward his own at Arsenal this season.

Sanchez scored his ninth and 10th goals of the campaign in Sunday's 3-1 win over Bournemouth after returning to his role leading the line in place of Olivier Giroud, who was reduced once again to a late cameo from the substitutes’ bench.

Walcott and Giroud had designs on playing through the middle before manager Arsene Wenger opted to use Sanchez as the spearhead of the team’s attack, but Walcott admitted: "Olivier’s strengths are fantastic.

"I know he will be frustrated with the amount of games he has not played but if you look at his scoring record and how effective he has been when he has been on the pitch — again yesterday, coming off the bench and grabbing an assist.

"It just shows he keeps on reminding the manager what he can do. Alexis, obviously me and him are having a very good relationship at this moment in time. At the start of the season, we created goals for each other and everything was happening.

"Now, you are starting to see signs it is happening again.

"Alexis has stepped up to making that position his and I think he is enjoying it. I can see the smile when he’s playing — he even did an interview which he never does — and in English!

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"I’ve been trying to say to him, ‘Talk to the guys when you can’ because his English is better than he thinks. I’m very pleased for him and I really enjoy playing football with him.

"At the start of the season, me and the manager sat down and I told him where I wanted to play so I don’t even have to think about anything else.

"Obviously I have that experience in the centre position and if I find myself there, hopefully I’ll be able to tuck away the goals which I have."

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