SANCHEZ STATUE ERECTED IN CHILE

Alexis Sanchez had a disappointing evening on Thursday as Chile lost to Argentina in a World Cup qualifier, but he had far more to cheer about on Saturday. The Arsenal forward visited his home city of Tocopilla to unveil a statue, created by Marco Vergara, that has been erected in his honour. It's not your usual statue, however, with Sanchez in full Chile kit and looking more like a life-sized cartoon -- complete with Hollywood Walk of Fame-esque handprints and footprints. The badges of his clubs -- including Colo Colo, Udinese, Barcelona and Arsenal -- are alongside him, as are huge replicas of the Copa America trophy, which Chile won in 2015 and 2016, coincidentally against Argentina on both occasions. However, there was a slight delay to the proceedings as graffiti on the Colo Colo badge, where Sanchez played on loan, had to be painted over.     —Agencies