Arsenal Must Build Their Defense Around Laurent Koscielny

Arsenal’s center back partnership has come under scrutiny recently. But if our defense is built around Laurent Koscielny, this will change.

Arsenal’s back line has always been criticised for lacking the necessary fight and commitment to lead a title charge, yet individually Arsenal’s defenders are of high quality. Both full backs (Monreal and Bellerin) are up there with the best full backs in the league and in Europe.

The centre backs at the club may create divisions among our fan base but I don’t believe that there is a shortage of quality. It is just how they are used tactically that provides the main stumbling block.

Laurent Koscielny is indisputably Arsenal’s premier central defender and according to Rio Ferdinand, the best defender in the league (which I wouldn’t argue with). Therefore, when fit, he is one of the first names of the team sheet. Yet, when it comes to deciding his central defensive partner, both Wenger and the fans have a selection headache.

The first candidate is Per Mertesacker. The BFG has been Koscielny’s partner for a number of seasons now and they have formed a formidable partnership. Arsene is a big fan of the lumbering German and he has been the club captain in the absence of Mikel Arteta for considerable time now.

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Yet many Arsenal fans often question his defensive ability. His leadership and communication has never been in doubt, while his reading of the game is second to none. But it lies in his moments of ‘enigmacity’ where he receives most criticism. Per’s distinct lack of pace often leaves him exposed and this has led to costly mistakes in the recent past (his red card against Chelsea springs to mind).

This leads us to the second viable option for the centre back spot: Gabriel Paulista. He was also sent off against Chelsea this season (although much more heroically).

The ex-Villarreal man has settled in nicely after his initial period of adaptation. This has provided Arsenal with moments of real determination and fight (not least his fist pound after a crunching tackle against the Spuds). However, Gabriel is also never short of his own enigmatic moments. His horror show at Old Trafford is clear evidence that the Brazilian is also prone to ‘lapses’ in performance.

So how do you solve such a conundrum? It’s simple: you play both. (And no I don’t mean playing with 12 men on the pitch). Rotating Per and Gabriel depending on the opponent could be Wenger’s and Arsenal’s saving grace and I will give two examples that will convince you that this is the case.

Firstly, let’s delve into our recent memory and visit the game at the Emirates vs Manchester City this season, more specifically, the first 45 minutes. Arsenal sat deep that half before scoring two quick-fire goals to stun their opponents. Yet what stood out that day was Mertesacker’s excellent showing.

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Arsenal surrendered possession and allowed City to play in front of them. This is precisely where the BFG is most effective. Expert interceptions and towering headers were a commonplace for Per that day and he was impenetrable. While Gabriel may have struggled to intercept City’s clever through balls and maintain concentration, Per did it expertly. Mertesacker should be utilised in games where Arsenal sit deep and counter attack instead of in games where he himself can be caught on the break.

Similarly, Gabriel played an equally impressive role in the centre of defence at the weekend against Everton. The Brazilian kept one the League’s deadliest strikers at bay (if a policeman investigated Gabriel’s pockets that day, he would have found Romelu Lukaku hiding in there) and provided us with one of his most accomplished performances in an Arsenal shirt.

This was because, again in the first 45 minutes specifically, Arsenal controlled the game and forced Everton to ping balls into the channels for the big Belgian to chase. While Per would have been suffocated by his pace and power, the challenge seemed to galvanise Gabriel and he snuffed out any hint of a threat from the Lukaku. Gabriel should be used against teams with pacy, powerful strikers where Arsenal intend to control the game rather than in games where we are forced to sit deep for longer periods.

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To conclude, Gabriel and Per are both quality defensive options but it lies with Wenger’s tactical analysis of our opponents and their game plan to decide when and how he will use each one of them. If Arsene can master this trick we are likely to see much better defensive performances from the Gunners in the near future.

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