With rumours of an exit in the winter window continuing to distract from anything Alexis Sanchez does on the pitch, we’re asking how much we can expect from the Chilean before then.

Alexis has one goal and a couple of assists in seven matches so far this season, giving him a ratio of a goal or assist every 2.33 games. Given the Chilean hasn’t started every match so far, perhaps a better representation of his form would be to say he has a goal or assist every 151 minutes.

Compare that to last season. Across the entire campaign, Alexis scored 30 and assisted 19, in 51 matches. That’s a goal or assist every 1.04 games, or every 86 minutes. Significantly better, whichever way you look at it.

Maybe the Chilean just needs time to get going. It’s hard to argue that point when he had five goals and five assists by this stage last season, but he has had his ‘injury’ problems in the current campaign, so he could just be taking a little longer to get back into the swing of things.

Also, the 28-year-old forward has moved out onto the wing, which of course is going to hinder his goal contributions somewhat. But his ratios never dropped this bad in 15/16, when he only played two matches up front all season.

If his form doesn’t start to pick up in the next couple of matches, then I think we’ll have to start pointing at some kind of mental block holding him back. Despite what pundits and Arsène Wenger are saying about Alexis being above all that, and just loving football too much to ever lose focus, something as big as this can affect your concentration.

The fans seem to be behind Alexis a little more than they were, and there haven’t been any repeat instances of the boos that met his first appearance after deadline day. But the audible increase in the cheering when Alexis’ name was read out pre-match is no longer present, and the fan base are split on social media about whether to back him.

If Alexis shows over the next couple of weeks that he can put that out of his mind, and if he realises he’s playing for his move right now, then I think we can expect a return to last season’s form.

But the longer he goes without showing 90 minutes of his best football, the more worried I think we should be. Watford on Saturday is a good chance to put those fears to bed.