‘I don’t know how’… Alex Iwobi revealed the ‘crazy’ thing Arsenal star could do under Arsene Wenger, he was underrated

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Arsene Wenger had several exceptional footballers in his ranks throughout his time at Arsenal.

The Frenchman was blessed with numerous talented footballers, with the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas all flourishing under his tutelage.

Granit Xhaka claimed Mesut Ozil was the best Arsenal player back in 2018, while Santi Cazorla has been cited as one the best by many former Gunners stars.

However, one defender went slightly under the radar in his spell in North London, with Alex Iwobi waxing lyrical about the man in question back in 2016.

• READ MORE: ‘Fantastic’ star has now been ranked as Arsenal’s MVP ahead of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Declan Rice

Alex Iwobi claimed Laurent Koscielny was Arsenal’s smartest player

In an Arsenal squad that contained players who frequently made poor decisions on the pitch in 2016, Laurent Koscielny was one of the exceptions.

The Frenchman was alive to everything, boasting the intelligence and the athleticism to ensure he was rarely caught out at the back.

Making 353 appearances for the Gunners between 2010 and 2019, Koscielny was the one solid and consistent defender Wenger had at his disposal in the latter half of his reign.

Speaking in an interview with Soccer AM in 2016, Iwobi identified Koscielny as the player with the best ‘football brain’ in the Arsenal squad, expressing his disbelief at the centre-half’s ability to read the game.

“I think Laurent Koscielny [has the best football brain],” the Nigerian said.

“The way he reads the game sometimes, it’s crazy. I don’t know how he does it.

“He’s always one step ahead in the game.”

Laurent Koscielny’s Arsenal statistics

Arsenal fans were upset with Koscielny when he left after he’d refused to go on the club’s pre-season tour, and then took part in a controversial announcement video at new club Bordeaux.

This certainly tainted his Arsenal legacy somewhat, although when Koscielny retired in 2022, there was an outpouring of appreciation from the Gunners faithful for his endeavours at the Emirates.

Managing more appearances than most in the modern era, he committed nine seasons of his career to the club, rejecting multiple offers from elsewhere and winning three FA Cups in the process.

While he briefly formed a promising partnership with Per Mertesacker, he was never paired with a centre-back that matched his quality, while the defensive structure around him was generally not good enough in the latter years of Wenger.

Had he played in a defensively resolute Mikel Arteta team, Koscielny would probably be viewed in the pantheon of defensive greats in Premier League history.