#8 Laurent Koscielny – Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny has long been one of the most underrated centre-backs in world football. His performances last season were arguably poorer than in recent years and certainly contributed to Arsenal’s league position. However, one thing that can never be faulted is Koscielny’s distribution.
In a similar number of minutes and games played, Koscielny made more total and forward passes than both David Luiz and Toby Alderweireld, who are both considered to be very good defenders on the ball. Also, his pass success rate is higher than both those players too, who were both a big part in their teams’ title challenge and title victory.
Koscielny has become an integral part of how Arsenal play, as they always look to play comfortably from the back. When he first signed and played for Arsenal in 2010, his abilities were questioned. However, the Frenchman has come on leaps and bounds since then. He has become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and an established French international along the way, emphasising how good his ball playing abilities are.
