Player Focus: Koscielny's Absence on Wednesday Night Highlights His Importance
That Petr Cech (7.47) was Arsenal's second highest rated player against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, despite shipping five goals, speaks volumes. From the very first minute, the Gunners were on the back foot and a 5-1 defeat in Germany could well have been worse had it not been for Cech between the sticks. Injury problems obviously played a part in the defeat to the Bundesliga giants, with a number of key performers absent. Hector Bellerin, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, among others, all missed out, but it was at the heart of the defence that the North London side were really lacking.
In the build up to the defeat in Germany, news began to filter through that French centre-back Laurent Koscielny would start from the bench due to a hip problem, with Gabriel filling in alongside Per Mertesacker. Koscielny's absence was exploited 10 minutes into the game when Robert Lewandowski headed Bayern in front. Thiago Alcantara was left unopposed on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area before lofting a perfectly weighted ball towards Lewandowski. As the Gunners backline pushed out, Gabriel was left stranded in front of goal, playing Bayern's Polish frontman onside as a result. It's conjecture, of course, but had Koscielny started, Lewandowski may not have been presented with the chance to net, such is the understanding between he and Mertesacker.
“Koscielny has a small chance (of playing),” Arsene Wenger said when asked if the centre-back would be fit to face rivals Tottenham in Sunday's North London Derby. The welcome of Spurs presents another tough test for the Gunners, especially with Mauricio Pochettino's side boasting the longest unbeaten run (10 games) in the Premier League. Wenger will need Koscielny fit to start, especially if Arsenal's lacklustre defensive showing in Germany was anything to go by.
The France international remains one of the Gunners' most important players, with his WhoScored rating this season (7.65) the fourth best of all Arsenal regulars in the Premier League and the highest of all defenders in England's top-flight. Koscielny has played a vital role in a defence that has shipped just eight league goals this term - no team has conceded fewer so far. It's unsurprising, therefore, that the 30-year-old currently features in WhoScored's European team of the season.
What stands Koscielny above the rest is his impressive reading of the game, which was painstakingly lacking against Bayern on Wednesday night. With those in front of him underwhelming, Gabriel and Mertesacker were unable to stem the bombardment on Cech's goal in the same way their French teammate would have done. Only compatriot and Crystal Palace star Yohan Cabaye (41) has made more interceptions than Koscielny (39) in the Premier League this season. Without the centre-back on the pitch, it's no shock that all four of Bayern's attempted through balls on Wednesday night found their target.
While Gabriel and Mertesacker are fine defensive performers in their own right, their ability to pre-emptively stop the danger is below that of Koscielny's and that was obvious in midweek. Meanwhile, a pass success rate of 90.2% - the third best of Arsenal players - denotes a commendable ability to successfully play the ball out from the back. The lack of composure shown at the Allianz Arena only increased the pressure upon the Arsenal defence, meaning the London side were unable to build attacks from deep in their own half. This saw them resort to hitting hopeful long balls forward, which only played into Bayern's hands as Arsenal were forced to defend wave after wave of attacks.
In the Premier League, this has contributed to the Gunners' surge up the table, with Arsenal averaging the third most possession (56.2%) in England's top tier this term. Koscielny's willingness to play the ball out from defence means his team are able to control games, which has helped them gain 25 points from the opening 11 league matches of the campaign. They will be understandably keen to add to that on Sunday when Spurs make the short trip to the Emirates, and Koscielny's fitness could be pivotal.
With Arsenal's current injury woes, they need their leaders on the pitch and the French centre-back is among that group of players. Even in front of goal, Koscielny has a big role to play, having bagged two goals in his last two league outings. Given Spurs' new-found defensive resilience, the Gunners need all the help they can get to hit the back of the net. The resounding defeat to Bayern only highlighted Koscielny's importance to the current Arsenal set up and without him, the defence was all at sea. If he starts on Sunday, Wenger's side have a much stronger chance of securing all three points. Without Koscielny, though, Arsenal's title bid could suffer a huge blow at their rivals' expense.
How important is Koscielny to Arsenal's hopes of securing domestic glory this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
