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#2 Laurent Koscielny
Laurent Koscielny has been a staple of the Arsenal defence for seven years and his importance was made very clear last season. In the Premier League, they conceded over half a goal more on average in the matches he wasn’t involved in, while their Champions League collapse away to Bayern Munich was precipitated by his substitution through injury.
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His performances were recognised by a third-place finish in the supporters 'Player of the Season' voting.
At 32, Koscielny is now the leader of the Arsenal defence and has adapted well to the switch to a three-man system during 2017. It is not only his defensive attributes that have impressed. On the ball, he is a key distributor from deep, providing over five accurate long balls per match so far this season with an overall passing success rate than dips just under 90%.
