Arsenal: Laurent Koscielny at the Per Mertesacker phase of career

Few Arsenal players are held in such unanimously high-regard as Laurent Koscielny, but is he nearing a point that Per Mertesacker just passed?

Arsenal’s defense has been the point of so many concerns this season and it hasn’t just been Shkodran Mustafi. Laurent Koscielny has had just as many, if not more, issues this year. And while this may stem from the incompatibility of the two, it may also simply mean that time is progressing.

And, when time progresses, body’s break down and can’t do what they used to do. While Mustafi is on the up and up and can brush off mistakes as part of the learning process, Koscielny is no. He is past that stage.

In fact, he may rather be entering the Per Mertesacker stage of his career. But no, I don’t mean retirement just yet.

There came a time in Mertesacker’s career when he just wasn’t a viable candidate to play every single match at the back. His age and lack of mobility hindered him and the Gunners had to turn to his compatriot, Mustafi.

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Koscielny has more athleticism than Mertesacker, so the drop off won’t be quite so sharp, ideally, but we may be witnessing the transition of Koscielny from first-team stalwart to rotational star.

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It was revealed last year that Koscielny has such a bad Achilles that he is literally always in pain if he doesn’t have shots to numb it. That can’t be a positive state for the body to be in. People continue to question his health through the struggles because it didn’t seem to make sense how he could have lost his defensive edge so quickly.

Age will do that to the best of them. Koscielny will always have a place, even if it’s as a rotational option, because what an option that would be. But I don’t think he can be relied upon in the same capacity as he has been.

I think of Mertesacker and how quickly it became apparent that it wasn’t enough. Koscielny has a bit more leeway built up, mostly because he isn’t quite that slow, but it’s coming.

The good news is that, even when Mertesacker was in his latter stages, he was still able to muster up the strength to perform well in big matches. Think FA Cup Final against Chelsea. I have no doubts that Koscielny could do the same.

Next: 5 Things Learned Against AC Milan

It was wonderful to see Koscielny back to his prime against AC Milan, but that is what got me thinking that maybe he is at that stage already, where he needs that extra emphasis to spur his body to keep up with the game.

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