Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Alexis Sanchez chosen by fans as Arsenal's player of the year

Alexis Sanchez has been named Arsenal's player of the year in a vote by fans.

The club said the Chile forward was the "overwhelming" winner of the annual poll, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain finishing second and centre-back Laurent Koscielny third.

Sanchez leads Arsenal in both goals (29) and assists (15) this season, his most productive output since joining the Gunners in 2014. He also scored the winning goal in extra time in the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City to set up Saturday's final against Chelsea at Wembley.

Sanchez started out the season playing as a central striker before being moved back to his regular role on the left wing.

In recent weeks he has played alongside Mesut Ozil as the two attacking midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 system deployed by Arsene Wenger. He has thrived in that role lately, scoring five goals in the team's last four Premier League games.

"Whether he was leading the line, cutting in from the left wing or playing off a central striker in our 3-4-3 formation, Alexis made sure he stole the show," Arsenal wrote on their website.

"We can use all the superlatives in the world to describe his season, but Alexis' stats speak for themselves. Ahead of our showdown with Chelsea, our No. 7 has made 50 appearances this season. He only failed to register a goal or an assist in 18 of those games."

Ozil, last year's winner of the award, was not even in the top three this time after an inconsistent campaign in which he was often criticised for his performances in big games.

Like Ozil, Sanchez's future at the club remains uncertain as he has yet to sign a contract extension, with his current deal expiring next year.

Arsenal are hoping to tie down both players to big-money deals this summer, with negotiations set to resume after the cup final.

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