Why Koscielny Deserves Credit For His Domineering Display Against Southampton

It's all well and good praising the forwards after a victory, but today in Arsenal's victory over Southampton there was one man in particular that stood out to me, and that was France international Laurent Koscielny.

The 28-year-old struggled to find his feet early in the season but has been nothing short of solid over the last few weeks, and today was no different. His domineering performance at the back saw him completed all 10 of his clearances while making four tackles. His positioning has come under questioning this season but the way he operated today looked far more effective than any other defender on the pitch.

He was also in fine form in regards to reading the game. He completed three interceptions and was successful in all four of his tackles, while also winning 2/3 of his headers.

Although he is often looked at as the combative half of the Koscielny-Mertesacker partnership, but he also completed 21/25 of his passes this afternoon, which in my books is quite impressive.

When needed, he also pushed higher up the pitch and acted like a defensive midfielder, picking apart opponent attacks.

For me, the Frenchman deserves a lot of credit for his display.

stats via Squawka