Laurent Koscielny’s stable presence more important than ever during these times of Arsenal uncertainty

If it was not already obvious, Arsenal’s dependence on Laurent Koscielny was confirmed during their recent Uefa Champions League humbling by Bayern Munich. In the 102 minutes of the two-legged tie that the France international was on the pitch, his side scored two goals and conceded one. In the 78 minutes in which he was not, Bayern found the net nine times without reply. Such statistics do not always tell the full story, but it is a damning one nonetheless. Arsene Wenger’s men completely collapsed when their captain departed through injury in the first leg and after a harsh red card in the second, as they proved unable to compete in both of the second halfs at the Allianz Arena and Emirates Stadium. There has been plenty of talk about the future of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the last few months — both players’ contracts expire in June 2018 — but keeping hold of Koscielny this summer could be just as important, whether Wenger extends his own stay or not. __________________________________ Read more ■ Jose Mourinho: 'I would never have sold Di Maria or Welbeck — no chance' ■ Where to for Lukaku? Five clubs who could sign the Everton striker ■ Man City: Pep Guardiola struggling to make a case for defence __________________________________ Given that Koscielny turns 32 in September and is tied down to a contract until 2020, Arsenal will be confident of retaining him. Yet the club must still find a way of reducing their reliance on the central defender, particularly as his advancing years mean there could be a void that needs filling in the not-too-distant future. Koscielny did not have everything his own way after swapping Lorient and Ligue 1 for the Premier League in 2010 — a mix-up with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, for instance, led to Birmingham City’s winning goal in the League Cup final in his debut campaign — but he has since established himself as an influential figure in the heart of the Arsenal backline. Quick on the turn, aggressive in the tackle and an intelligent reader of the game, he has thrived alongside a number of different centre-half partners, including Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou, Thomas Vermaelen, Per Mertesacker and, this season, Shkodran Mustafi. Arsenal have frequently been accused of a lack of leadership in recent seasons, but Koscielny, while not one to rant and rave, should be exempted from any wider criticism of his team’s mental fortitude. Koscielny acts as an example for others to follow with his authoritative performances on the pitch. There is plenty left for Arsenal to play for this season. The fact that they have two games in hand on fourth-placed Liverpool means Champions League qualification remains in their hands, while there is also a chance to win the FA Cup for the third time in four years. It is hardly overstating his importance to claim that Koscielny will play a big part in determining how the rest of Arsenal’s campaign plays out, and given that the team’s success or failure in achieving their objectives could have a significant bearing on Wenger, Ozil and Sanchez’s next steps, his contributions could be even more crucial than usual. “He is the guy who has the experience, who leads the defence and overall of course we have seen at Bayern that he is a very important piece of the puzzle at the back,” Wenger said last month. “I think he is at the top [in his position] in the Premier League.” It is difficult to disagree with that assessment. With sections of the fan base protesting and the future of the manager and key players uncertain, Arsenal are not currently in the most stable of places. However, things would be far worse if they did not have Koscielny to call upon. Stoke back where they belong Stoke City manager Mark Hughes. Paul Ellis / AFP Perhaps the most unsurprising aspect of the Premier League table heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures is Stoke City’s position. Mark Hughes’ men occupy ninth spot in the standings, which is exactly where they have finished in each of the last three campaigns. This season may have begun with four defeats and a draw, but Stoke have since lifted themselves into their customary placing just inside the top half. The question now is how much further a club of their size can realistically go. Normal service has been resumed after Leicester City’s astonishing title triumph last season, with the big six reasserting their dominance over the rest — as much demonstrated by the line-up for the FA Cup semi-finals as the league table. Seventh-placed Everton may retain hope of climbing above Manchester United, but for the likes of Stoke there is little else left to play for in the final two months of the season. It has been a familiar story ever since Hughes replaced Tony Pulis in the summer of 2013. Stoke have continually proven themselves to be too good for a relegation battle but not quite strong enough to enter the European picture. A run to the semi-finals of the League Cup did provide fans with some sense of excitement last season, yet even that adventure was over before the end of January following a penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool. While retaining a place in the Premier League is seen as a prize in itself by the majority of chairmen in the division, it would be understandable if Stoke supporters were to grow a little frustrated with the ceiling their side has hit and the unlikelihood of them breaking through it due to the landscape of the modern game. Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

Laurent Koscielny’s stable presence more important than ever during these times of Arsenal uncertainty

Greg Lea uses this week's Premier League column to stress the importance of Laurent Koscielny to Arsenal's presence and short-term future.