Alexis Sanchez inspired by the Ole effect

Alexis Sanchez used this 3-1 FA Cup victory to mark his return as an influential footballer and become the latest player to experience a rejuvenation under interim Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Almost one year to the day after the Chilean slunk out of Arsenal a faded hero, he was back in north London for the first time and capped a rare start for United with an even rarer goal that made this eighth consecutive win for the Norwegian coach a reality.

Booed on and booed off, this was not his finest hour, but his calmness and sureness of touch under pressure when presented with the chance to score United’s opening goal after 31 minutes oozed quality.

That a second United goal came only two minutes later was partially a result of the high-octane confidence he shot through the United side combined with the demoralising kick to the core of Arsenal’s self-belief he had simultaneously delivered.

Fit again, injuries had prevented him getting munch of a chance under Solskjaer to date, but this match could be the start of a beautiful and fulfilling relationship.

Jose Mourinho signed Sanchez in what he had hoped would be a coup for the Old Trafford club, landing one of the game’s most sought after players under the noses of their arch same-city rival Pep Guardiola, but it is a transfer that, to date, had spectacularly back-fired.

Having scored 44 goals in 166 games for Arsenal, many of them crucial cup-winning strikes too, it was enough to persuade the Old Trafford board to put him on £400,000-a-week wages only for his form and fitness to disappear faster than Mesut Ozil’s bottle in a one-on-one tackle.

Before his strike last night Sanchez had scored just four in 32 appearances and he had been agitating for a move before Mourinho’s removal.

So, handed a chance to prove his worth by Solskjaer at the ground where he was once idolised before an ill-tempered departure as he sulked his way into a move, meant the spotlight was firmly on him.

Stood last and shortest in line-up the two teams walked in front of each other to exchange handshakes. Most gave him a pat on the back and even one or two hugs.

Next over to embrace the Chilean was United team-mate Paul Pogba as if in a bid to convince the former Arsenal favourite he had nothing to worry about.

But then it all went quickly downhill after his first touch was to concede a throw in and be roundly booed by Arsenal fans on the touchline.

His main involvement for a period after was racking back to contain the enthusiastic attempts to get forward of Arsenal’s stand-in right back Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

But that is the attitude his team-mates and Solskjaer wanted to see.

And not picking on Sanchez, it was also a frustrating first half for attacking players on both sides with defenders dominating — until Sanchez scored. Of course he scored.

Romelu Lukaku, another struggling for game time recently, made to shoot but thread a pearl of a pass through Arsenal’s last line to set the Chilean forward free.

And Sanchez looked like a player with all the time in the world as he sent Petr Cech to the floor with a feint to the right and then lifted the ball into the roof of the net having rounded the splayed out Arsenal reserve keeper.

The one-goal lead lasted all of 120 seconds, however, as United were suddenly two goals up and Arsenal were out of the FA Cup.

Lukaku again was the architect, laying an open goal on a plate for Jesse Lingard who calmly stroked a well-placed shot beyond Cech, for whom retirement can now not come soon enough at the end of the season.

There was a clunky gear change in the atmosphere and flow of the game when Arsenal pulled one back through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Sanchez faded dramatically in the second half, as did United until late on and after Laurent Koscielny’s horror injury led to Arsenal’s introduction of Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi, it was soon followed by a swift response from Solskjaer.

It also signalled the end of Sanchez’s involvement as he, with Lukaku was withdrawn with about 20 minutes to go.

There were no trademark sulks or strops: just some tired puffs and a few hugs and high-fives with coaching staff and team-mates alike.

Yes, he has and will play better but he had made a match-winning contribution. .