Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been watching Lionel Messi for inspiration after playing a new role for the Gunners this season.

The 28-year-old has been in good form, scoring eight goals and assisting eight more from 17 appearances in all competitions.

The Chile forward has played with a range of strikers in Italy, Spain and England, and has now revealed he is trying to model his game on Lionel Messi’s after assuming a more central attacking role.

‘I like the way that Lionel Messi plays,’ Sanchez told the Arsenal website.

‘He likes to drop deep and let other players run on ahead of him, like Jordi Alba, Dani Alves and myself, when I used to play on the right there, then look to find him in the middle again.

‘Not quite a false nine. I like getting involved in the play more rather than chasing the ball. I like seeing lots of the ball, because I have the chance to drop deep and that means I can link up with my teammates more.’

Arsenal will return to the Premier League to take on Bournemouth on Sunday.

The match at the Emirates Stadium kicks off at 16:15.