Have Arsenal REALLY got best player in England?

None of the fans from rival clubs to Arsenal will like this and I expect they will point to all sorts of reasons for the stats on Francis Coquelin not really being a true reflection of reality but you cannot argue with the plain facts, reported by The Mirror, that the 23-year old is absolutely smashing the other players in the same position since Arsene Wenger brought him back from the loan spell at Charlton.

So when it comes to a defensive midfielder actually defending, no one comes close to Coquelin. Since playing his first league game of the season just before new year, Coquelin’s 37 interceptions are four more than the next best figures of Daley Blind and Federico Fernandez. His 97 duels won are miles away from the next best of Ashley Barnes’ 76 and Eden Hazard’s 75. And only Zabaleta’s 44 tackles beats his 39, with Fernandinho in third with 33.

Just look at those numbers again Arsenal fans, because they are truly stunning. Stats do not tell the whole story and Coquelin still has aspects of his game to work on, but he is young and Arsenal may just have found the best midfielder, defensively speaking, in England. Is he really that good?