Why Laurent Koscielny Deserves Huge Credit For His Performance Against Everton

The full time whistle goes and people start to talk about who should have claimed Man of the Match. While most called for Everton’s Ross Barkley in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, I would suggest that Laurent Koscielny should actually claim it.

The French defender was a giant at the back for the Gunners. Ignoring his silly foul on Romelu Lukaku, Koscielny was a huge part as to why the Toffees struggled to penetrate the Gunners. Koscielny stood tall throughout and was equally as impressive on the deck.

In the 90 minutes, he made a remarkable eight interceptions, one in the Everton half, which shows how hard he was working to win back possession.

He also made nine clearances, all of which were from the central areas, which evidently frustrated Romelu Lukaku as he failed to break through the Koscielny-Mertesacker wall in front of the goalkeeper.

He won both of the tackles he went in for, one on Lukaku and one on Oviedo, and also showed that he can keep his cool when moving the ball round the back – From the 23 passes he attempted he completed 19.

Yes Barkley had a good game, and Deulofeu  stole the headlines with his powerful shot, but Laurent Koscielny certainly deserves more credit for his performance.