Arsenal: Laurent Koscielny return can re-shift the focus

Arsenal’s true strength has shifted this year, but it has never rested on their defense. Laurent Koscielny’s return could change that.

When Arsenal started out this season, there was no mistaking what their true strength was – it was their attack. Between Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Ramsey, Welbeck and more, the attacking options were diverse, at times sensational, and there was going to be no shortage of goals.

So much so that the attack was used to overcompensate for a flimsy defense that struggled at the best of times to keep a clean sheet.

As Lucas Torreira settled into his role next to Granit Xhaka, and with Matteo Guendouzi still on the rise, the true strength of the club shifted to the middle of the park, where Xhaka and Torreira were learning to partner fantastically and provide so much durability in every theatre of play.

Again, the defense was always going to be the weak link. But with Laurent Koscielny returning from injury, we may see a re-shifting of the focus yet again, because what we will have in that defense is a Koscielny/Sokratis option that pits one of the Premier League’s best (Koscielny) with a venerable, proven stalwart in Sokratis.

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There isn’t a lot of nonsense to go around between the two of them, and even if they are pitted in a back three alongside Mustafi or Holding, there is still going to be such a strong foundation that I’m getting giddy just thinking about it.

So much of what has plagued this defense involves poor decision making, mental lapses, and a gross lack of experiences. That is all changing with Koscielny’s return. Assuming that the prerogative is going to be getting him back into the mix alongside Sokratis, the weaknesses are beginning to disappear already.

Koscielny is slated to return to the selection options as early as this Thursday in the Ukraine against Vorskla. I would be surprised to see him feature too heavily, if at all. But we are at the point now where it isn’t just a matter of wanting to see how well he can fit back into the mix, it’s also about the congested fixture list ahead, and needing defensive options.

Plus, as the captain, if he can wrangle this defense into order, then we just keep benefitting from the Frenchman’s return. Now it’s just a matter of how soon we can start to rely on him again.