Arsenal Predicted Starters To Face Aston Villa

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Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny

I want to know what Gabriel Paulista did. Did he kick Wenger’s dog? Did he set his couch on fire? Did he tie his shoelaces together? What could the Brazilian defender have done to fall out of favor so quickly? I became so enamored with the Gabriel/Koscielny pairing that I was probably spoiled. Together, their athleticism and dynamism gave Arsenal such an added degree of proactive defensing that there are so few strikers that Arsenal should fear.

But that pairing has become a thing of the past. Now, it is ‘der Kapitan’, Per Mertesacker’s show yet again. I always feel the need to point out that I actually do like Per Mertesacker. I do. I would just so much rather see Gabriel Paulista. Mertesacker gets bullied in the air far too much for my liking. It seems like every time he goes up to challenge for a header he ends up on the ground. That should not be happening.

With Gabriel Paulista it does not happen, but I digress.

Laurent Koscielny has been called the best defender in the Premier League by Rio Ferdinand. So that’s pretty cool. I’m ready to see Koscielny in the back line every single match for as long as he wants.

Now we must move to the midfield, where the pleasant surprises just keep coming.

Next: Midfield