Why Arsenal’s Koscielny Is A World-Beater! by AT
Heading into Arsenal’s clash against Manchester City on Monday night, much of the talk was about a fit-again Sergio Aguero leading the line for Manuel Pellegrini’s men. But on the pitch, the Argentine was largely ineffective thanks to the excellent defensive play of Laurent Koscielny, who was brilliant on the night as Arsenal saw off the threat of City to go within two points of the summit.
Playing against one of the League’s most potent attacks, the Frenchman made countless vital tackles, shrewd interceptions and won most of his duels as the Gunners kept the City attack at bay for most of the game. But perhaps the most impressive aspect of his game on Monday night was his ability to see passes and start attacks.
Apart from his fizzed pass to Mesut Ozil from the half-way line which led to Arsenal’s opener, Koscielny provided a sumptuous diagonal ball to send Campbell in on goal, a chance which the Costa Rican could have done better with. In addition to his technical qualities, the 30-year-old is also blessed with the ability to make driving runs from the back and initiate attacks, as we saw in the game against City.
In my opinion, we have a world-beater of a central defender in our possession. Apart from being strong defensively and technically sound, Laurent is also someone who can see a defence-splitting pass from the back and has the ability to beat a man or two. Koscielny is also lethal in the air and very quick across the grass, which enables him to make fast recoveries.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that ‘Bosscielny’ is the best defender in England at the moment and the best to wear an Arsenal shirt in the past decade. Without a doubt, he is the type of defender a manager can build his team around. Here’s hoping he will stay at the Emirates throughout his prime and continue being the bedrock of the Gunners’ defence.
Anurag