Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker - Unheralded duo have Arsenal's back

Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny celebrates with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.

For almost two years now, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have been the immovable rock at the base of Arsenal‘s back line. They have been the overriding factor in the Gunners’ 2013 resurgence, but only now does it seem that they are receiving the credit they undoubtedly deserve.

Mertesacker has long been dogged from the criticism he, probably justifiably, received in his first season in England. Hastily signed after the 8-2 debacle at Old Trafford at the beginning of the 2011/12 season, the giant German initially struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League and his season was brought to an abrupt end in February when he damaged ankle ligaments on a plough field at the Stadium of Light.

Since the beginning of the 2012/13 campaign, however, Mertesacker has been rock solid. The near constant, mind numbingly ignorant, accusations that he is too slow ignore the fact that due to his exceptional reading of the game, he is rarely caught out of position, and his lack of pace thus exposed.

That is also where Koscielny comes in. After a similarly troubled start to his Emirates career – the nadir being his and Wojciech Szczesny’s bizarre misunderstanding in the 2011 Carling Cup final which left Arsenal deflated and preceded their appalling finish to the season – he has blossomed into an elegant and crucially, very reliable, central defender.

One of Koscielny’s greatest assets is his partners’ greatest weakness: pace. Their understanding is such that even if Mertesacker is caught out, Koscielny is always there to mop up any potential danger.

Not that the school of last ditch, recovery defending was required on Monday evening. Indeed, for the vast majority of the match, they were mere bystanders, restricted to distributing the ball from the back. After Jack Wilshere and Olivier Giroud had expertly put Arsenal 2-0 up inside a minute, the Gunners proceeded to coast through the remainder of the game.

This slightly lackadaisical approach was capitalised upon in the 75th minute when Santi Cazorla’s lazy pass led to Christian Benteke netting his first goal since September. From then, Villa woke up, the crowd woke up, and Arsenal’s penalty area was under siege for the remaining 15 minutes plus lengthy stoppage time.

In the bad old days, this game would’ve finished 2-2, Arsenal would have wilted under an aerial assault. But not now. Not with Mertesacker and Koscielny at the heart of their defence. Despite the constant pressure, the win was never in a great deal of doubt.

This type of win, backs to the wall, defending a slender a lead has become a trademark of this gritty, well organised Arsenal side (I know, I don’t quite believe it either). So whilst the plaudits have been raining down on the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud, and quite rightly so, Mertesacker and Koscielny deserve equal, if not greater, praise.

It does not take a Pep Guardiola to work out defence has long been Arsenal’s Achilles heel, but that assumption can now safely be consigned to the past as the 2013/14 vintage continue to grind out results.

In this frantic, logic defying Premier League season, defensive solidity might just be the golden ticket.