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Welcome to ESPN FC's #PremRank.
Beginning May 25, ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.
Why Laurent Koscielny makes the list
For all the debate about whether Arsene Wenger still scouts players to the same level he used to, or whether cornerstones of his current team need to be replaced in order to properly challenge for the title, there should be no doubt about the vision shown in signing Laurent Koscielny or his important place in the Arsenal team.
Koscielny has grown into the club's best defender by far, and one of the best in the Premier League. That can be seen with every impossible-seeming interception -- and every time he's out of the first XI. Koscielny's movement and sharpness at the back also aid the cohesion of the rest of the back line, making life easier for other defenders -- not least the more immobile Per Mertesacker.
"He has a combination of qualities," Wenger has said about the 29-year-old. "He has good reading of the game, good anticipation, great commitment, great speed and he is quick on the turn." Certainly, very few get around Koscielny.
-- Miguel Delaney
The stats that tell the story
- Ranked fourth in the Premier League with 93 interceptions this season, despite playing only 27 games.
- Drew 1.06 offside whistles per 90 minutes this season, which ranked third in the Premier League.
What the experts say
"Paulista's style of play is comparable with that of Koscielny. Both favour a rugged man-marking approach, using their speed and reading of the game to nip at the heels of attackers. He can play too -- Villarreal's style depends on accurate and intelligent distribution from the back. Like Koscielny, Paulista is equally capable of instigating a move for his own team as snuffing out one from the opposition." -- James McNicholas, January 2015.
"His best performance in a long time. The Frenchman was not found wanting once defensively; he marshaled the speedy and dangerous Sakho well, and with a 93 percent pass completion stat, ensured things built from the back." -- Andrew Mangan, March 2015.
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