Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny wants to be sung about.
Laurent Koscielny has been speaking to Arsenal’s official website about his season to date, talking about his partnership with Per Mertesacker, his individual performances and the fact that he does not have a song.
When asked why Olivier Giroud almost immediately inspired a new terrace chant while the defender is still waiting to inspire a ditty of his own, Koscielny joked, “I don’t know! Maybe I need to have Olivier’s nose or his haircut! Or maybe they don’t like me. Before I retire I am hoping to have my own song.”
While it may seem rather trivial to focus on that question when the 28-year-old delved into a whole host of topics during the interview, the truth is he deserves to have his name sung on a regular basis, such has been his influence with the Gunners this season.
His partnership with Mertesacker has erased the question marks surrounding the North London side’s defensive stability. And they now have the joint-second best defensive record in the Premier League, with only current leaders Chelsea conceding less to date.
Koscielny has played all but three of Arsenal’s league matches this season, and even scored in his last outing against Sunderland. And as you can see from the table below the centre-back has starred when it comes to tackles won, interceptions won and effective clearances.
| Player | Won Tackle / apps | Duel Won / apps | Aerial Won / apps | Interception Won / apps | Effective Clearance / apps | Apps | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kieran Gibbs | 1.59 | 4.82 | 1.50 | 1.86 | 4.09 | 22 | 1,590 |
| Laurent Koscielny | 1.54 | 4.08 | 1.58 | 2.83 | 6.96 | 24 | 2,066 |
| Bacary Sagna | 1.25 | 6.33 | 3.75 | 1.42 | 4.50 | 24 | 2,070 |
| Per Mertesacker | 1.00 | 4.56 | 2.80 | 1.76 | 6.36 | 25 | 2,250 |
| Carl Jenkinson | 0.91 | 2.73 | 0.73 | 0.45 | 2.18 | 11 | 663 |
| Nacho Monreal | 0.83 | 2.78 | 0.83 | 0.89 | 2.00 | 18 | 815 |
| Thomas Vermaelen | 0.57 | 3.29 | 1.57 | 1.29 | 5.14 | 7 | 341 |
So while the players further up the field regularly hear their songs ring out around football stadiums across the country, maybe it is time to come up with something in honour of a player who has proved a vital cog in Wenger’s improving and impressive side.
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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