That Arsenal
won in Munich on Wednesday is no real surprise: it has been a recent disturbing
tendency of the Gooners to perform valiantly in causes already cast unto the
wind.
However, the Highbury/Emirati gallantry has
provided pundits on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast with more ammunition
for the argument that the North Londoners’ best central defensive partnership
doesn’t actually include their captain, Belgian Thomas Vermaelen.
We can eliminate the comical
Johan Djourou and (perhaps Wenger’s worst-ever signing) Sebastien Squillaci
from real First Team contention. The
discussion revolves around the best combination of the short, but effective
freelancer Vermaelen; the peg-legged but smart and aerially-proficient Per Mertesacker;
and jack of all trades Laurent Koscielny.
The table below examines how effective each
Arsenal pairing has been so far in season 2012-13. Every match the Gunners have played since the
first EPL match of the season has been taken into account (and points awarded
for victories/draws in Cups
competitions).
Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is interesting, but what
they hide is vital. This table is taken
in complete isolation, and disregards the defensive capabilities of the ‘keeper
and other players. However, it still
makes for interesting reading. As the Guardian’s
analysts tacitly decided, perhaps the Arsenal captain’s favoured position may
not actually be best for the team.
|
Central defensive combination
|
Games
|
Avg Conceded
|
Avg Scored
|
Wins
|
Draws
|
Losses
|
Points/ game
|
|
Vermaelen/Mertesacker
|
22
|
1.09
|
1.68
|
11
|
3
|
8
|
1.64
|
|
Koscielny/Mertesacker*
|
11
|
1.27
|
2.00
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
1.82
|
|
Koscielny/Vermaelen
|
6
|
1.67
|
2.00
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
1.17
|
|
Koscielny/Djourou
|
1
|
5.00
|
7.00
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3.00
|
|
Vermaelen/Squillaci
|
1
|
2.00
|
1.00
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0.00
|
|
Mertesacker/Jenkinson
|
1
|
0.00
|
1.00
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3.00
|
*For many of the eleven matches in which Laurent Koscielny and Per
Mertesacker partnered each other, Vermaelen was deployed at left-back as either
first-choice or in the event of injury/Andre Santos.
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