Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez goal drought due to 'return of Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud'

Chilean media outlets believe the return to action of Arsenal forwards Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud are preventing Alexis Sanchez from replicating his best form since the start of 2015.

The former Barcelona star had an impressive start to life in English football, scoring 12 goals in the first 20 league games while also netting three in the Champions League group stage.

However, the £32m ($49m) 2014 summer signing is struggling to produce the same form during the second part of the campaign.

Sanchez is yet to score a goal since Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Stoke City on 11 January at the Emirates Stadium, when he netted a brace and provided Laurent Koscielny with an assist for the third goal.

The Chile international has since failed to score in his following six appearances, including the humiliating defeat against Monaco on 25 February.

Sanchez was missing from the scorers' sheet in Premier League games against Manchester City, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, despite Arsenal winning each game, while he missed the London derby against Tottenham and the 5-0 victory over Aston Villa due to injuries.

Furthermore, Sanchez could not add any goals to his impressive tally during FA Cup wins against Brighton and Middlesbrough, nor was he able to do so against Monaco.

Chilean newspaper El mercurio said: "Alexis played the full 90 minutes without too much shine. He started on the left side, then went to the right and to the centre of the attack before finishing as the number 10. He was incisive but, as it happened since the start of 2015, coinciding with a knee injury and the return to action of Ozil, who is overshadowing him, he failed to make the difference as he used to do during the first part of the campaign."

Meanwhile, La Tercera added: "Olivier Giroud, missing during much of 2014 [due to injury], has overshadowed Sanchez a little bit inside the area. Now he is doing a role as an assistant while the French hitman tried to go straight to the net."

Sanchez experienced the same problem during his time at the Camp Nou. Even though, he registered good stats, many Spanish pundits believed he was overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Neymar.