Francis Coquelin Haters Need to Back Down; He's Deserving of His Arsenal Place

Every team has a scapegoat—a player fans single out when things go wrong. At Arsenal, it seems to be Francis Coquelin.

Whenever the Gunners falter, Coquelin’s shortcomings tend to be highlighted by the Gunners’ irritable fanbase. However, criticism of the defensive midfielder is unwarranted—he remains one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

It’s unclear why Coquelin has become such a lightning rod for criticism. Perhaps it’s because he’s not the most glamorous name on Arsenal’s books—having joined the club as a teenager, he arrived without the hefty price tag that can boost a player's profile. He’s also not yet achieved international recognition. Despite being a regular with Arsenal’s first team for two years, he’s still awaiting his first call-up to the senior France squad.

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The prejudice against him is also partially informed by his perceived lack of technique. Arsenal have a squad full of players who are easy on the eye. Next to the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla, Coquelin’s relative lack of ability on the ball is apparent. Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey seem more able alternatives when it comes to distributing the ball from deep.

However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger clearly still considers Coquelin to be an essential part of his midfield setup. He has made 10 Premier League starts this season—a tally not one of Ramsey, Xhaka or Cazorla can better.

When Hector Bellerin recently suffered an ankle injury, Wenger was asked about the possibility of using Coquelin at right-back. The former Lorient loanee has played there in the past, but Wenger dismissed the idea. The Gunners coach told the team’s official site:

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It goes through your mind [to play Francis at right back], but I don’t do it because I don’t feel he has the physiological profile of a full back - that is more on big accelerations, long-distance running and coming back.

Francis is a guy who is very explosive on short distances. Every time I’ve played him at right back, he’s had muscular injuries. I think you have to get used to that kind of effort and he does not have that physiological profile to do this kind of job.

"

Coquelin’s stamina might be one issue—but it’s also the case that Wenger would be loath to displace him from a midfield that has grown reliant on his belligerent style of ball-winning.

Coquelin has won 54 per cent of his duels in this season’s Premier League—the highest tally of any of Arsenal’s midfielders. He makes an average of four defensive actions (blocks, interceptions and clearances) in every game. That figure means he’s reacting at a ratio unmatched by any player outside of Arsenal’s back four. The explosiveness over short distances that makes him unsuitable for a role at right-back makes him ideal for the frenetic pace of the midfield.

He made a tremendous impact in Saturday’s 5-1 victory over West Ham United. It was his interception, high up the pitch, that allowed Arsenal to win a turnover and create the opening goal. Alexis Sanchez raced on to Coquelin’s block and squared for Mesut Ozil to tap home.

One particularly underrated aspect of Coquelin’s play is his aerial ability. He is not the tallest player (5’10”), but a good spring and sheer determination have enabled him to win 70 per cent of his 27 headed duels this season. To put that in perspective, Olivier Giroud, who is typically regarded as Arsenal’s best header of the ball, has won 62 per cent of his aerial battles.

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Coquelin might not be the most creative player in the Arsenal team, but that's not necessarily a problem.For starters, his passing is far more accurate than his detractors would admit. Eighty-eight per cent of his attempted passes find their target—but that’s a better success rate than the one offered by Ozil (87 per cent).

However, that’s not his primary function. Arsenal have plenty of flair—what they’ve needed is someone with the requisite fight to give them balance. Coquelin’s humility is part of his strength. He knows what he’s best at, and he sticks to it.

Wenger certainly seems enamoured with the midfield destroyer. In conversation with the team's website, the manager said:

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Francis has improved a lot. Every year he’s getting better and he’s very focused, very committed and conscious of his responsibilities in the team.

He’s certainly the most defensively efficient midfielder, so it allows me to balance the team around him. We are an offensive team and to have someone who can break things up and whose first pass is very good, helps a lot for us to be efficient.

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The disparity in style between Coquelin and Arsenal’s other midfielders is what sees him singled out for criticism. However, Wenger justifiably believes it’s exactly that differentiation that makes his compatriot so valuable.

Ultimately, the manager’s faith is more important than the fans’. Wenger seems to be determined to reassure Coquelin of that fact, telling the Arsenal website:

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I think what is most important when you’re a footballer is that you play and you get the credit from the technical people. If you can get the credit from the crowd and the fans as well, you have to take that challenge as a long-term issue when you’re not a spectacular player.

Offensive players are very spectacular and with defensive players I think you sometimes get a silent recognition. They take it for granted that every week you do this job. I think on a longer term, these people are rated.

"

Coquelin is not the first of his kind at Arsenal. Gilberto Silva is an example of a player who was not particularly prone to moments of extraordinary imagination but did a simple job diligently and thus made himself an invaluable part of a winning team. The success of the Invincibles has made Gilberto a legend at Arsenal. If Coquelin can help Arsenal to their first Premier League success in over a decade, he’s certain to transform perceptions of his time with the club and be remembered fondly.

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Wenger is looking to find a cohesive midfield partnership to cope without the injured Cazorla. At London Stadium, Coquelin was paired with Xhaka to great effect, with the Swiss' playmaking style complemented by Coquelin’s disciplined ball-winning. It looks like it could be a good combination to build upon during the winter months.

The Coquelin haters had better back down. It doesn’t seem as if Arsenal’s feisty Frenchman is going anywhere in a hurry.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report’s lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.

All stats are according to Squawka.