Switching AI 2d sprite animations in a isometric game

Hello! So I am making a game where its 2d sprites in a 3d isometric world, but I am having problems making the enemy AI to swap animations depending on the movement of the object. It is going to an update spot (the player) and chasing it. I've been trying to compare either the positions or the velocity in specific directions. Essentially it uses a if else's to decide the change in it's position to determine direction. Any ideas or best practices would be awesome!