Analysis: City star Otamendi outshines Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny in five key areas

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Manchester City meet Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday.

Manchester City take on fellow Premier League title challengers Arsenal on Monday night in a key clash which will see the impressive Nicolas Otamendi and Laurent Koscielny face each other.

Koscielny has been in outstanding form for the Gunners this season, helping his side maintain one of the best defensive records in the league with a number of superb performances.

City haven’t been quite as good at the back this season, with the injury to skipper Vincent Kompany having a notable effect in big losses to both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

But new signing Otamendi has been a bright spark nonetheless, and some could argue that the Citizens have only managed to keep their defence together as a result of his superb contributions.

As per the table provided by Opta Stats, the Argentine centre-back’s impressive defensive work can be illustrated by the fact he has outshone Koscielny in as many as five key areas.

Otamendi has averaged more tackles, effective clearances, defensive duels won, aerial duels won and accurate passes per Premier League match than his upcoming opponent.

The former Valencia man was brought in to provide Kompany with a reliable defensive partner, yet with the Belgian’s injury, Otamendi has in his absence rightly been tagged as City’s best defender.

Against Arsenal, he will be tested to the limit as Olivier Giroud will be the focal point upfront for the Gunners while the pace of Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil’s creativity will pose other major threats.

The game could ultimately hinge on which defence manages to perform for the full 90 minutes, and Arsenal’s back four can head into the match seemingly the more confident based on recent events.