Football’s most dramatic declines from Aubameyang to Man Utd flop Alexis Sanchez

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been able to maintain the same high level of performance throughout their careers.

However, not all players have had this same longevity and have seen their form and careers decline over the course of their playing days.

For some this has been the goals drying up, while others have fallen out of favour at their club and ended up warming the bench rather than starting matches.

So, here are seven players that have suffered dramatic declines in recent years, including struggling Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Manchester United flop Alexis Sanchez.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 22 league goals in both of his first two seasons with Arsenal, winning the golden boot in 2018/19.

However, the Gabon international managed just 10 in the league last season, with his form declining dramatically after he agreed a new contract with the Gunners.

He has again struggled this campaign, scoring just four goals in his 12 league starts.

In addition, he was stripped of the club captaincy on Monday over a disciplinary issue that also saw him miss the win over Southampton on Saturday.

Who should replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Arsenal captain? Let us know in the comments section below

Andriy Shevchenko

Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 and lifted the Champions League and Italian title in his time with AC Milan.

He was unable to continue his form in Italy after signing for Chelsea in 2006, though, as the goals dried up for Shevchenko.

He managed just four Premier League goals in his first campaign, before following it up with five in the 2007/08 season.

After returning to Milan on loan in 2008, Shevchenko even failed to score at all in the league that season and departed Chelsea on a free in the summer of 2009.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez had developed into Arsenal's talisman after signing from Barcelona and his 24 league goals in the 2016/17 season left other clubs sniffing around.

The interest of both Manchester clubs disrupted the Chilean playmaker and his performances dipped even before he moved to Manchester United in January 2018.

However, he struggled at Old Trafford, scoring just five goals for the club before leaving for Inter Milan on an initial loan.

He has continued to look a shadow of his former self in Italy even after making the move permanent in September 2020 and has started just two matches this season.

Dele Alli

After joining Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager from MK Dons back in 2015, Dele Alli quickly established himself as a key player at Spurs.

He made his England debut at just 19 and won back to back PFA Young Player of the Year awards in his first two seasons in the Premier League.

Come the 2019/20 season, though, Alli's performances had started to level off after a handful of injuries kept him out of the Spurs team.

He has since been unable to reclaim a permanent starting berth under multiple managers and now looks set to leave the club as soon as January 2022.

Fernando Torres

Having scored 24 league goals in his debut season with Liverpool, Fernando Torres followed this up with a respectable 14 the following season.

His game time had become limited by injuries come the 2009/10 season, but the Spanish striker scored a staggering 18 goals in just 22 Premier League matches.

These injury issues failed to deter interest from Chelsea, who forked out £50million for Torres in January 2011, only for him to score just once before the end of the season.

He would score more than 10 league goals in a season just once more in his career and never again in England, but did score the goal that took Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2012.

Philippe Coutinho

When Barcelona paid Liverpool over £120million for Philippe Coutinho in January 2018, it seemed a fair price for the Brazilian playmaker.

He had developed into the Reds' key man and had already racked up 13 goals and assists in just 14 league matches that season.

However, a number of injuries have stunted his career since he moved to Spain and he has often been linked with moves away from the club.

He was also unable to earn a permanent move after struggling with injuries again on loan at Bayern Munich in 2019/20 but did score against his parent club in an 8-2 mauling.

Harry Kane

While Harry Kane is arguably suffering from just a blip as opposed to a full-blown decline, the Spurs striker has been far from his best so far this season.

Kane has won three Premier League golden boots, including last season, and is on the cusp of becoming England's all-time leading goalscorer.

Despite this, though, Kane has scored just once in 13 league matches this season, compared to nine goals and 10 assists at the same stage last season.

While in all competitions he has eight goals in 20 matches, there has clearly been a decline in form that new manager Antonio Conte will hope to correct soon.

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