Arsenal star Francis Coquelin has recently been in the form of his life and has become one of the stars of the current Arsenal team. As such, his performances have earned plaudits from Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva.
Gilberto spent six years with the Gunners and was part of the defensively solid Invincibles team. Having made 237 appearances and scoring 24 goals for Arsenal, the Brazilian is one of the most qualified people to speak about Coquelin.
In an exclusive with the Evening Standard, Gilberto argued that while Coquelin still has quite a way to go in terms of development, he is making enormous strides to improve.
He has improved a lot in a short space of time, and he’s still young. But he still has some way to go.
The former Gunners praised Coquelin’s understanding of his role in the team and his acknowledgement that he does not need to race up the pitch to help the rest of the team in attack.
He does a good job and an important job, when you’re in his position you must hold the pitch for the team. He knows he doesn’t need to go forward to help out the other Arsenal players.
However, Gilberto also admitted that he would like to see the young Frenchman carry his form through multiple seasons to confirm that he has the ability to represent Arsenal.
He’s improving every game, he’s developing a better understanding with the players around him. But he needs to show that over more than one season.
Arsenal currently sit second in the Barclays Premier League table, only behind leaders Manchester City on goal difference and if the club hopes to challenge for the title for the rest of the season, Coquelin and his defensive contribution will be vital to any success.
