Arsenal verdict: Mkhitaryan proves to be better half of Sanchez deal as he leads Gunners into Tottenham clash in best possible way
Midfielder was rewarded with a standing ovation after he ran riot in the 5-1 win over Bournemouth
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HENRIKH MKHITARYAN was the makeweight in the deal which saw Alexis Sanchez leave for Manchester United – but a year on it is Arsenal who are laughing now.
When Sanchez departed for Old Trafford in January last year, the Gunners fans were in uproar at losing one of their truly top class players – especially to a Premier League rival.
Mkhitaryan was viewed only as an acceptable replacement by some around North London, having struggled to make an impact during his 18 months at United.
But having finally overcome the fitness issues that have blighted the first half of his career at the Emirates, the 30-year-old is beginning to turn in the kind of displays that saw him star at Borussia Dortmund.
He was only on the pitch for just over an hour against Bournemouth, but the Armenian treated everyone at the ground to a display of brilliance that was rewarded with a standing ovation by the Arsenal supporters.
This was the kind of impact on a game which Sanchez used to have before he started throwing his toys out of the pram in the desperate search for a move away.
The kind of performance United have every reason to expect from a player they are paying £505,000-a-week to, mostly to sit on his backside on the bench.
Unai Emery now has a player at his disposal who can make the difference against any of the top sides, and nowhere near the kind of headache off the pitch he would have had if he had inherited Sanchez.
He scored one and created two others in this rout of hapless Bournemouth, carrying out the high intensity orders of his manager and also applying his own touch of class.
Not only that, but he brought out the best in Mesut Ozil too, as the pair worked in tandem to wreak havoc on the Cherries playing at a level above anyone else on the pitch.
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The key now will be for Arsenal to ensure they keep Mkhitaryan fit, for when he is firing he is the kind of player who can lead the club to a top four finish this season.
Tottenham and the North London derby will be a different proposition than Bournemouth, but Mkhitaryan and Arsenal go into that match in the best possible way.
The prospect of him and Ozil working to open up the Spurs defence is a mouthwatering one, IF Emery decides to let them both off the leash at Wembley.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will also be licking their lips at the chance to get on the end of the service they would provide, especially Mkhitaryan.
Would any of the Gunners fans want to swap him for Sanchez for this game? Would they heck.
