Alexis Sánchez has been described as a hero after giving up his race time in the London Marathon to help Arsenal over the line in their FA Cup semi-final against Man City.

The Chilean was also labelled an inspiration after stopping to carry the exhausted team during their Wembley encounter.

In true sportsmanship, Alexis, whose bib number is 7, was seen sacrificing his race to offer support to the Gunners as they struggled to complete their fixture.

Footage taken by spectators show Alexis, from Tocopilla, encouraging Aaron Ramsey to stay on his feet.

The hero said: “I took the final corner ready to sprint the final few hundred metres and I saw Arsenal with their legs completely collapsed beneath them.

“And my mind was like, ‘I need to help these guys. They’ve played almost 120 minutes and they’re so close to the finish line.’

“Then they tried to shove a contract in front of my face and I just laughed at them.”