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After TWO YEARS without defeat when playing 90 minutes together, Koscielny and Mertesacker just need a trophy to join Arsenal legends Adams and Keown
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 13:55, 14 January 2014 | UPDATED: 20:55, 14 January 2014
It's been four years in the making but Arsene Wenger has finally cracked his central defensive quandary.
Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have provided the foundation for Arsenal’s Barclays Premier League title tilt.
Monday night’s victory at Aston Villa extended a remarkable run that has seen the Gunners undefeated in every league match in which Koscielny and Mertesacker have completed 90 minutes, since a 2-1 home defeat against Manchester United on January 22, 2012. That period has included 28 games, 20 of which have resulted in victories.
Solid as a rock: Per Mertesacker (right) and Laurent Koscielny (left) have not lost a league match for almost two years when they have both started and finished a game for title-challenging Arsenal
Solid as a rock: Per Mertesacker (right) and Laurent Koscielny (left) have not lost a league match for almost two years when they have both started and finished a game for title-challenging Arsenal
It is a typical case of opposites attracting. Mertesacker is uncompromising, Koscielny more polished. Mertesacker is the dressing room motivator, Koscielny the quiet, introverted professional.
Together they look like the magic formula for Wenger, who hatched his plan to get them together as far back as 2009.
Then, with Thomas Vermaelen, William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre as the club’s senior centre backs, Wenger decided he was missing something. He wanted more strength and power in the heart of his defence. Not only that, Wenger wanted a leader: a new Tony Adams, someone who could fit into Arsenal’s intricate passing philosophy but also dish out a rollicking if needed.
Past captains Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie led by example but Wenger wanted a born leader.
Spark: Arsenal's defeat to Tottenham last season led to manager Arsene Wenger making changes at the back
Spark: Arsenal's defeat to Tottenham last season led to manager Arsene Wenger making changes at the back
Keeping it tight: Central defensive partnerships and their records
As a short-term solution, he re-signed Sol Campbell until the end of that season. But Wenger had seen enough. He knew bigger was better and started a search for a more intimidating centre half.
He tried to sign Mertesacker from Werder Bremen in 2010 but the Bundesliga side were unwilling to sell. Wenger instead bought Koscielny from Lorient and Sevilla’s Sebastien Squillaci.
Squillaci found the pace of English football too much and that January Wenger even made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne.
It was not all bad news. Koscielny was showing promise in his first season at the club alongside Johan Djourou but Wenger made it his summer’s mission to land Mertesacker, the man described on club scouting reports as the ‘perfect blend of presence and footballing brain’.
Wenger finally got his man in August 2011, signing the Germany international in an £8million deal.
But Mertesacker’s first few months in England were tough, and he struggled when thrown straight into the first team because Vermaelen was injured. He was soon dropped but Arsenal were far from secure at the back and something had to change. The turning point came in last season’s demoralising 2-1 derby defeat by Tottenham on March 3.
Cheeky: Gareth Bale makes it clear that Tottenham had beaten their north London rivals last year
Cheeky: Gareth Bale makes it clear that Tottenham had beaten their north London rivals last year
Underwhelming: Sebastien Squillaci (left) rarely looked comfortable at the heart of Arsenal's defence
Underwhelming: Sebastien Squillaci (left) rarely looked comfortable at the heart of Arsenal's defence
Vermaelen was dropped for the next match — the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Having lost the first leg 3-1, Mertesacker and Koscielny were immense in a 2-0 win against the eventual European champions.
They have not looked back and having the chance to tap into former Gunners defender Steve Bould’s vast experience has been a contributing factor. He has been far more hands-on with training the back four since that Tottenham game last year and the benefits are clear, with their performances a huge reason for Arsenal’s rise to the top of the table.
Turning point: Arsenal's defensive recovery started with their second-leg win at Bayern Munich last March
Turning point: Arsenal's defensive recovery started with their second-leg win at Bayern Munich last March
In front: Jack Wilshere gave Arsenal the lead against Aston Villa to return his side to the top of the table
In front: Jack Wilshere gave Arsenal the lead against Aston Villa to return his side to the top of the table
A is for: Wilshere dedicated his strike to his son Archie as Arsenal maintained their title challenge
A is for: Wilshere dedicated his strike to his son Archie as Arsenal maintained their title challenge
Off the pitch, the pair are close.They speak regularly, in English, about how best to deal with their next opponents, hatching detailed plans on how to ensure their invincible streak continues. They will need to be at their very best with Bayern, Liverpool and Arsenal coming up soon.
But what of club captain Vermaelen, the man left in the cold? The Belgian is content for now, having been assured of his place in Belgium’s Brazil 2014 plans by manager Marc Wilmots. After that, he will see, with the summer possibly signalling the end of his Arsenal career.
Missing out: Arsenal's club captain Thomas Vermaelen has had to make do with a place on the bench
Missing out: Arsenal's club captain Thomas Vermaelen has had to make do with a place on the bench
Tony Adams and Martin Keown with the FA Cup in 1998
Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell formed a formidable centre-back partnership for Arsenal
Legends: Koscielny and Mertesacker are close to being considered in the same company as Arsenal's previous centre-back partnerships of Tony Adams-Martin Keown (left) and Sol Campbell-Kolo Toure (right)
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz2qPYUKhmq
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 13:55, 14 January 2014 | UPDATED: 20:55, 14 January 2014
It's been four years in the making but Arsene Wenger has finally cracked his central defensive quandary.
Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have provided the foundation for Arsenal’s Barclays Premier League title tilt.
Monday night’s victory at Aston Villa extended a remarkable run that has seen the Gunners undefeated in every league match in which Koscielny and Mertesacker have completed 90 minutes, since a 2-1 home defeat against Manchester United on January 22, 2012. That period has included 28 games, 20 of which have resulted in victories.
Solid as a rock: Per Mertesacker (right) and Laurent Koscielny (left) have not lost a league match for almost two years when they have both started and finished a game for title-challenging Arsenal
Solid as a rock: Per Mertesacker (right) and Laurent Koscielny (left) have not lost a league match for almost two years when they have both started and finished a game for title-challenging Arsenal
It is a typical case of opposites attracting. Mertesacker is uncompromising, Koscielny more polished. Mertesacker is the dressing room motivator, Koscielny the quiet, introverted professional.
Together they look like the magic formula for Wenger, who hatched his plan to get them together as far back as 2009.
Then, with Thomas Vermaelen, William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre as the club’s senior centre backs, Wenger decided he was missing something. He wanted more strength and power in the heart of his defence. Not only that, Wenger wanted a leader: a new Tony Adams, someone who could fit into Arsenal’s intricate passing philosophy but also dish out a rollicking if needed.
Past captains Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie led by example but Wenger wanted a born leader.
Spark: Arsenal's defeat to Tottenham last season led to manager Arsene Wenger making changes at the back
Spark: Arsenal's defeat to Tottenham last season led to manager Arsene Wenger making changes at the back
Keeping it tight: Central defensive partnerships and their records
As a short-term solution, he re-signed Sol Campbell until the end of that season. But Wenger had seen enough. He knew bigger was better and started a search for a more intimidating centre half.
He tried to sign Mertesacker from Werder Bremen in 2010 but the Bundesliga side were unwilling to sell. Wenger instead bought Koscielny from Lorient and Sevilla’s Sebastien Squillaci.
Squillaci found the pace of English football too much and that January Wenger even made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne.
It was not all bad news. Koscielny was showing promise in his first season at the club alongside Johan Djourou but Wenger made it his summer’s mission to land Mertesacker, the man described on club scouting reports as the ‘perfect blend of presence and footballing brain’.
Wenger finally got his man in August 2011, signing the Germany international in an £8million deal.
But Mertesacker’s first few months in England were tough, and he struggled when thrown straight into the first team because Vermaelen was injured. He was soon dropped but Arsenal were far from secure at the back and something had to change. The turning point came in last season’s demoralising 2-1 derby defeat by Tottenham on March 3.
Cheeky: Gareth Bale makes it clear that Tottenham had beaten their north London rivals last year
Cheeky: Gareth Bale makes it clear that Tottenham had beaten their north London rivals last year
Underwhelming: Sebastien Squillaci (left) rarely looked comfortable at the heart of Arsenal's defence
Underwhelming: Sebastien Squillaci (left) rarely looked comfortable at the heart of Arsenal's defence
Vermaelen was dropped for the next match — the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Having lost the first leg 3-1, Mertesacker and Koscielny were immense in a 2-0 win against the eventual European champions.
They have not looked back and having the chance to tap into former Gunners defender Steve Bould’s vast experience has been a contributing factor. He has been far more hands-on with training the back four since that Tottenham game last year and the benefits are clear, with their performances a huge reason for Arsenal’s rise to the top of the table.
Turning point: Arsenal's defensive recovery started with their second-leg win at Bayern Munich last March
Turning point: Arsenal's defensive recovery started with their second-leg win at Bayern Munich last March
In front: Jack Wilshere gave Arsenal the lead against Aston Villa to return his side to the top of the table
In front: Jack Wilshere gave Arsenal the lead against Aston Villa to return his side to the top of the table
A is for: Wilshere dedicated his strike to his son Archie as Arsenal maintained their title challenge
A is for: Wilshere dedicated his strike to his son Archie as Arsenal maintained their title challenge
Off the pitch, the pair are close.They speak regularly, in English, about how best to deal with their next opponents, hatching detailed plans on how to ensure their invincible streak continues. They will need to be at their very best with Bayern, Liverpool and Arsenal coming up soon.
But what of club captain Vermaelen, the man left in the cold? The Belgian is content for now, having been assured of his place in Belgium’s Brazil 2014 plans by manager Marc Wilmots. After that, he will see, with the summer possibly signalling the end of his Arsenal career.
Missing out: Arsenal's club captain Thomas Vermaelen has had to make do with a place on the bench
Missing out: Arsenal's club captain Thomas Vermaelen has had to make do with a place on the bench
Tony Adams and Martin Keown with the FA Cup in 1998
Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell formed a formidable centre-back partnership for Arsenal
Legends: Koscielny and Mertesacker are close to being considered in the same company as Arsenal's previous centre-back partnerships of Tony Adams-Martin Keown (left) and Sol Campbell-Kolo Toure (right)
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz2qPYUKhmq