The 50th anniversary of the Elyse Treaty - Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.

The first 4 ga es of this season sa! the "rench an #lay $ ti es for his country and o#en the Pre ier League season at ho e to %ston &illa. 'n his o#ening atches Koscielny !as on the losing side on $ occasions out of the 4 atches( dra!ing once( and received 4 yello! cards ) one *eing a second yello! resulting in a red. +ince his #oor start to the season( Laurent has #layed ,- ga es for clu* and country !ithout receiving a caution( losing $ ti es ./ha #ion0s League ho e ga e versus 1orussia 2ort und( the /a#ital 3ne cu# tie ho e to /helsea and the ,-0 loss at 3ld Trafford in the league to Man 4td5. Koscielny !on ,$ of the ,- ga es since his red card against %ston &illa( *ut ost recently he !as sent off in the 6-0 loss in 4kraine in the 7orld /u# 8ualifier eaning he !as sus#ended for the return leg in Paris. "rance !ere a*le to turn the atch around in the second leg and 9ualify !ithout the need for Koscielny. The "rench an0s short co ings have *een rescued *y his :er an counter#art Per Mertesacker !ho scored the solitary goal at 7e *ley to *eat England. The #artnershi# *egan !ith Tho as &er aelen *eing dro##ed in the crucial /ha #ion0s League second leg atch against 1ayern Munich last season and the :unners ke#t a clean sheet !hich !as an achieve ent no other tea acco #lished. The key statistic 7enger !ill *e en;oying a*out Laurent Koscielny is his #ass co #letion at <6.-= across the Pre ier League and /ha #ion0s League .htt#>??!!!.!hoscored.co ?Players?$005,?+ho!?Laurent-Koscielny( 6,?,,?,$5. +ince the first ga e of the season !here the "rench an !as dis issed for a second yello!( his #artnershi# !ith Mertesacker has *een al ost i #er ea*le. The only #oints the #artnershi# has dro##ed in the league has *een at 7est 1ro ) this year0s giant slayers. The only other ga e the "rench-:er an relationshi# !as a*le to *e *eaten !as the /ha #ion0s League clash at ho e to 1orussia 2ort und. 'n the ,6 atches the t!o have #layed together since Laurent0s red card the :unners have dro##ed only 5 #oints fro a #otential $@. Tho as &er aelen !ill find it very difficult to *reak *ack into this %rsenal side and if their for continues Koscielny and Mertesacker !ill *e the *est centre *ack #airing in the Pre ier League. %nother key statistic to note is that since Koscielny0s red card neither hi nor Mertesacker have *een *ooked in the ,6 atches theyAve #layed together.