Alexis Sanchez is like a "Duracell battery" that shows no sign of slowing, according to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The Chilean star produced another masterclass at the weekend, setting up the opening goal and scoring twice himself to inspire a 3-0 victory over Stoke City at Emirates Stadium.
Alexis' tally for the season now stands at 18 but, as Oxlade-Chamberlain points out, his game is about much more than goals. The England international has seen Alexis' work ethic at close quarters and he says the summer signing is setting sky-high standards.
"[With] his attitude and the way he approaches training, you wouldn’t think he was tired, and the way he is playing, you wouldn’t take him out of the side either"
"When you see someone working hard from the front and maybe if they close three players down and they don’t win the ball back, and then you are not there to back him up, you do have to look at yourself and think ‘why was I not there to help my team-mate out?’" said Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"It does set the tone for the rest of the team, the boys up front. If they react quickly when we lose the ball, it brings the midfield with them, full-backs and the defenders to switch from attack to defence. It is something that we work hard on.
"Alexis does it better than anyone I’ve seen. He’s come from Barcelona, it is a strong philosophy that they play by - when you watch Barcelona, they do that - so maybe he has picked that up there and brought that to us in every game he has played. There are definitely a lot of boys learning from him and you can always learn from him because he does it really well."
Alexis' sheer appetite for the game has been something to behold this season. Arsene Wenger suggested that the Chilean's first winter without a break would be "a shock to the system" but Alexis has gone from strength to strength.
"He absolutely loves it," smiled Oxlade-Chamberlain. "He is like a Duracell battery. He just does not give in.
"Whether it’s a cup competition or times when you think maybe it could be a chance for him to come out and rest, he is the first one to say he wants to play and he always wants to be a part of it.
"I am sure if the boss wants to rest him, he would respect that as well. But his attitude and the way he approaches training, you wouldn’t think he was tired and the way he is playing, you wouldn’t take him out of the side either.
"Hopefully he can keep his fitness and keep going the way he is. But the athlete that I see every day, I can’t see him falling short anytime soon."
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