Arsenal fans must have winced when they saw Alexis Sanchez preparing to come on against Southampton in the FA Cup last Saturday.
The Gunners were 3-0 up, the tie was effectively over, and it seemed entirely needless to risk their top scorer. However, having been introduced as a centre-forward, he swiftly set up two goals for Theo Walcott in a devastating demonstration of his potency in that position. Now Arsene Wenger must restore him to a central berth in the Premier League -- first against Watford on Tuesday and then in the crucial match against Chelsea this weekend.
Wenger is blessed with a wide array of attacking options at the moment. He named an unfamiliar attacking lineup of Danny Welbeck, Lucas Perez and Walcott at St. Mary's and all three shone. However, it's unthinkable that he would start a league match without Sanchez. Come the match against Watford, Arsenal's star man is likely to be one of the first names on the team sheet.
The question is where. In recent weeks, he's played primarily from the left flank. This has at least in part been due to the superb form of Olivier Giroud, whose run of goals has made him seemingly undroppable. However, the time has come to be ruthless. With the critical Chelsea match on the horizon, Arsenal need to return to the attacking set-up that has served them best for the majority of the campaign.
The truth is that Arsenal are a better side when Sanchez is deployed centrally. To put it more cruelly, they're better without Giroud. That much was evident at the weekend. When the Gunners operate with three quick, mobile forwards, their attacking play is much more dynamic and unpredictable. It sounds absurd but Giroud's goals mask the broader detrimental impact that picking him has on the team.
Against Watford, Sanchez must play at No. 9. It's essential the Gunners use this match to refamiliarise themselves with the strategic quirks of using the Chilean up top.
Exciting as it would be to see him flanked by Welbeck and Walcott, Wenger is unlikely to risk two players who only made their first starts after injury at Southampton.
Speaking at his prematch news conference, the Gunners boss said of Welbeck: "He's very sharp, but he's still not out of it completely. We have still to be cautious with him. Physically he's ready to play. But we still have to manage the times we use him and the times we rest him for a while I think, for the next months. After he will be hopefully completely fit.
"Of course [Welbeck] has done enough to keep his place but at the moment we have to be cautious with him. I'm not sure how we'll use him every three days. I think he's a bit short for that. But the quality of the performance was there."
Welbeck is likely to make another cameo from the bench against Watford. His place on the left will most probably be taken up by Alex Iwobi, who was omitted from the starting XI against Southampton. On the right-hand side, there could be another opportunity for Lucas. The Spaniard can consider himself incredibly unfortunate to have started just two Premier League games this season, as whenever he is called upon he looks an intelligent and efficient forward.
Wenger must juggle this remarkable collection of attacking talent to ensure players remain fresh, happy and sharp. In the next week, he faces two hugely important fixtures. With Chelsea playing Liverpool on Tuesday night, the Watford game is a potential opportunity to make ground.
Then comes the clash at Stamford Bride, and what's sure to be a stern test of Arsenal's title credentials. Wenger can afford to rotate here and there, but the one man who must undoubtedly start both games is Sanchez. For Arsenal to have their best chance of securing six precious points, that should be as a central striker.
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