Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny was on target during the crunch clash with London rival Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday and has now written his own piece of history at the club by becoming the first defender to score 20 Premier League goals for the club. The Frenchman has been at Emirates Stadium since 2010 after joining from Lorient as a relative unknown for £8.25 million.
Koscielny’s header against the Blues saw him open his account for 2018-19. His start to the season was hampered by an Achilles injury suffered in May 2018 which dashed his 2018 FIFA World Cup dreams with France, who eventually won the competition. However, he was slotted seamlessly back into the fold as club captain. Having found the target during a crunch clash with the Blues, the 33-year-old will be hoping there are more to come.
The defender has notched up over 330 appearances for the Gunners, while becoming an established member of the France set-up on an international stage. He has been a model of consistency throughout his time in north London, taking in at least 33 outings in each of his campaigns with Arsenal.
His best return to date stands at four goals for any given season, with that return delivered in 2012-13 and 2015-16. If he is able to offer more in the final third, to complement his efforts at the opposite end of the field, then Unai Emery’s side will fancy their chances of remaining in contention for a top-four finish.