The Chilean netted 80 goals and bagged 45 assists during his time at the Gunners, but managed to find the back of the net just five times, setting up his teammates on nine occasions for United. Sanchez&apos time at Old Trafford was shortlived as he failed to justify being given the iconic No.7 shirt and he moved to Inter Milan just a year-and-a-half after signing for the Reds.
The forward&aposs time in London, however, was rather different. Sanchez enjoyed three-and-a-half successful years at the Emirates Stadium, winning two FA Cups with Arsenal.
That, perhaps explains Sanchez&apos previous comments that Arsenal &aposwill always be in my heart&apos ahead of the two sides&apos last competitive encounter. In the build-up to the game in January, Arsenal&aposs social media accounts had been re-living some of their favourite goals against Sunday&aposs opponents, with Sanchez&aposs superb strike in a 2015 3-0 win spotted by the Chile international.
“You remembered me. I will never forget you too,” Sanchez wrote in response to the Instagram post. “You will always be in my heart. You were my first family in England. And everyone took good care of me especially the fans. All the best Gunners.”
Arsenal would end up winning that game as Eddie Nketiah flicked home a late winner in a five-goal thriller, with Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez getting on the scoresheet for United.
Sanchez&aposs previously admitted regretting swapping north London for Manchester. “Sometimes there are things that you don&apost realise until you get there, and I remember the first training session I had, I realised a lot of things,” Sanchez said regarding his United move.
“After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent &aposcan you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?&apos. They laughed, I told them there&aposs something that doesn&apost sit right, it doesn&apost seem good.
“But I already signed, I was already there. After the first few months I carried on having the same feeling, we weren&apost united as a team in that moment.”
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