Arsenal Captain Mikel Arteta 'Delighted' with Alexis Sanchez's Premier League Adjustment

Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta believes Alexis Sanchez has already made great strides in adjusting to the physical demands of the Premier League.

Sanchez joined the Gunners for a fee of £35m from Barcelona during the summer transfer window and the forward has impressed during his first four months at the club, scoring eight goals in 15 games.

The Chilean international scored both his side's goals in their 2-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday 25 October, capitalising on a poor back pass from Wes Brown after half an hour before chasing down a hesitant Vito Mannone to add a second in stoppage time.

And Arteta has pointed to Sanchez's willingness to press the opposition in the dying minutes as a measure of how far he is come in a short space of time.

"His confidence is high, physically he is better," Arteta told Arsenal's official website. "You can see that by the runs he was making in the 93<sup>rd minute when he chased the goalkeeper and kept going.

"That's all about him – he wants to keep going, he wants to improve and he is doing very well."

Sanchez's excellent start to life in north London has seen him win a second consecutive player of the month award. His return of four goals and two assists in the month of October saw him seal a landslide victory in a club poll, taking 90.1% of the vote ahead of Danny Welbeck (4.5%), and Kieran Gibbs (1.4%).

The Chilean's form also earned him perhaps the highest praise an Arsenal player can receive after midfielder Mathieu Flamini declared the Chilean can go on to emulate Gunners legend Thierry Henry.

"From what we have seen so far of him, he is right up there [with Henry and van Persie]," Flamini said.

"He is proving it in every game he plays, not just with his goals but the way he works for the team.

"[Alexis Sanchez] is a breath of fresh air to play with. He gives so much for the team and not just in an attacking sense. I didn't realise he works so hard off the ball. Not just creating space for others but helping out defensively. He is a top player and has already made a big difference."