Wenger: The player I will start in attack primarily

Arsene Wenger has continued to heap praise on some of his star players following Saturday’s dominant performance in the Premier League.

On a weekend which saw title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool drop points, Arsenal managed to overcome their away test at West Ham with a sublime second-half show as they won 5-1.

The win at the London stadium came courtesy of a virtuoso display from Alexis Sanchez who scored his second ever hat-trick as an Arsenal player after last year’s treble in the 5-2 triumph at Leicester City.

After watching Sanchez increase his goal tally on Saturday, Wenger insists the 27-year-old is now bound to be his first-choice centre-forward even with Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck still at the club.

“He has all the ingredients that you want for a centre forward,” the Gunners boss told the club’s official website. “We all would love his qualities to play there. And I think as well, now, he is convinced that it’s his best position and in every game he has that as well.

“He maintains that focus and will always kill you when he can. He can always deliver something special because he can dribble, has a short backlift, and he has pace. So that’s why it’s interesting.”

The Arsenal manager has also suggested that Alexis Sanchez is now likely to not return to his former role on the left wing considering his success upfront.

“Honestly, yes,” he said. “But if he maintains that kind of performance, I’m already happy!”