Arsenal: 5 key players vs Manchester United in FA Cup

4. Laurent Koscielny

I don’t think I have ever seen Laurent Koscielny play as enthusiastically and as effectively as he played against Chelsea. Now, bear in mind that any semblance of defensive quality would have stood out as potentially messianic, but Koscielny certainly followed through on the opportunity in a big way.

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He even scored the ultimate premeditated shoulder goal.

We saw glimpses of the defense shaping up against West Ham, despite the defeat, and seeing it now for a second time makes me wonder if this isn’t a trend that we can all get excited about. With Koscielny at the heart of the defense, more determined than ever, he may be the piece that was missing this entire season, meaning that as long as he stays in the fold, coordinating this defensive effort, we have reason to believe.

As mentioned, United have been on a roll for some time now and it’s going to take a Chelsea-like effort to stop that role. Solidifying the defense against this United attack would be a massive step towards accomplishing that objective.

On to No. 3.