Alexis Sanchez finds his place in the world

Champions League is about to kick off and there’s one player who will enjoy it like never before: Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez.

The former Barcelona attacker never was quite able to pull his own weight in Spain, and although he had great success at some points of his three seasons as a blaugrana, fans and media always saw him as a bit of an outsider.

Perhaps it was his price tag, which always hovered over his performances as a dark shadow he could never escape. It’s not uncommon and other players, like Coentrao at Real Madrid or even Alexander Song also at Barcelona, have gone through the same issue.

A player like Sanchez, signed from a mid-level team like Udinese, for over 40 million euros, needs to outperform immediately and consistently. The Chilean arrived in Barcelona after a very successful season for the Cules, and alongside Cesc Fabregas, he was one of the players who needed to deepen the rotation so Guardiola could always have a competitive team on the field.

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However, since there was no spot for him in the starting lineup, as Pedro, Villa and Messi were all exceeding expectations, his adaptation to the team’s style took quite longer than needed.

Sanchez was used to being the star in Udinese’s attack, and manning the right wing, he could create as many plays as he pleased per game.

In Barcelona, he was welcomed to a new pattern of play making, a style built on lots of possession and short passing amongst the midfielders, in which spaces in the front were slowly conquered but never rushed into. Alexis took a while to realize he would be more successful running inward rather than outward and into the empty space, because Xavi, Iniesta or Messi would rarely look for him farther than a few feet from them.

But the Chilean is a great a player, and he did eventually find his footing at Barcelona, but perhaps it was too little too late.

While he was one of the best players in the last months of the previous seasons, the club knew he would be one of the first ones to go in the transfer market. In the end, it actually made sense: Alexis still had quite a following in England and Italy, he’s only 25 years old, and he could be transfer for a sum similar to what Barcelona paid Udinese for his transfer.

Alexis Sanchez has found a home at Arsenal

And that’s how the Chilean made the trek to London, where he has found his place in professional soccer at Emirates Stadium.

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His arrival to Arsenal was nothing like the summer of 2011. With the Gunners, Alexis was considered a bright star from day one, and he was introduced with all the honors a player of his caliber deserves.

The Premier League, ultimately, is a much better fit for his style, and the Chilean has been impressive in his first month of competition.

Alexis is about to reach the prime of his career, and Arsenal may have found the attacking gem it had been missing since Thierry Henry left the team. He’s not a true striker –just as the Frenchman wasn’t either– but his power and character make him a force to be reckoned with up top.

He has already scored two goals in four games, and his second one against Manchester City may be one of the best of the year.

Now, he has the chance to solidify his great start with Arsenal by showing his prowess in the Champions League, and Borussia Dortmund is the best opponent to prove his worth to his new fans.