Alexis Sanchez may have had a bad time at Arsenal in the last few weeks with a failed transfer request, fan jeers and curt comments from Arsene Wenger himself. But in their Europa League opener on Thursday, the Chilean striker put it all behind and scored a stunning goal as Arsenal came from behind to beat Cologne 3-1.

Sanchez gave his team a 67th-minute lead and he curled in from the left flank into the far top corner to complete the brilliant goal. This was the kind of strike that makes him so valuable to the team despite all the controversies surrounding him lately. Clearly, the Chilean is determined to give his best to the club, despite his numbered days.

Naturally, football fans and players alike were all praise for the strike, (with some jokes thrown in of course).

First came the praise

Then came the jokes