Laurent Koscielny recently spoke about the benefits of having more rotation in the back line with the emergence of Gabriel this season. The French centre-back is grateful to have more depth across the back line, with at least one quality back-up player in each defensive position. He told the following to the club website.
We know each other’s qualities and we know the philosophy of the team. A season is long. We saw it last year with a few injuries. So we appreciate having everybody ready to come in. We benefit from the coach’s rotation.
This newly found depth is important for the sake of making a run in multiple competitions as well as in order to stay in the chase for the top spot in the Premier League. The Frenchman is thrilled with the outcome of the season so far, and he has some high praise for the squad because of that.
Everybody brings his contribution. It’s important to have that. I don’t know if this is the best Arsenal team I have ever played for but collectively you can tell that we are capable to do great things together. We need to keep that team spirit and this desire and motivation.
He went on to talk about the fact that Arsenal usually end up keeping the ball for most of any given match, but there are times where the Gunners are at their own end of the pitch for a lot of a game, especially against better, possession-oriented teams.
We like having the ball but there are times in games where we are on the back foot and that’s when we need to make the efforts for the team and for our team-mates. We did it against Bayern and [against Everton] in the second half. Let’s keep it this way until the end of the season.
Arsenal have been great thus far this season and will could sustain their great form throughout the entire campaign. Supporters may be able to finally see the first Premier League trophy lifted in north London since 2004. Koscielny; an experienced, athletic defender, will have to keep up his consistent, unusually disciplined play for the entire year and do his part in order for the team to get past the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and to make runs in the league and the two domestic cup competitions.
