Arsenal’s new defensive pairing of Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny have received a host of positive reviews in the aftermath of Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing of Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, with some already calling them the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League.
Is this too much hype too soon? Maybe, but maybe not.
When you sit and take stock, almost every serious Premier League title contender has been in disarray from a central defensive point of view over the last few months.
We take a look at how Mustafi and Koscielny compare to their respective counterparts at Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and last season’s champions Leicester City.
Arsenal
Since Mustafi’s arrival at the Emirates from Valencia for £35million during the closing days of the summer transfer window, the Germany international has started three times for the Gunners in the league and has been a part of three victories in that time, purring with composure and consistency.
Indeed, since starting alongside Koscielny the pair are yet to concede a goal from open play and restricted the league’s joint top marksman so far this season, Diego Costa, to pretty much nothing on Saturday.
Between them the two made 12 clearances,10 interceptions,4 tackles and 2 blocks against Chelsea and were duly rewarded for their exceptional performance with a thoroughly deserved clean sheet.
Arsene Wenger commented afterwards: ‘They were outstanding. Committed and technically sound. Overall I am very pleased.’
It’s early days still of course but the signs at this stage are promising for Wenger and the Arsenal faithful, with both full of pace, strength, calmness, aerial prowess and the ability to play from the back.
Centre-back verdict: 4/5
Chelsea
So what of the other sides in the title hunt? Well it makes sense to start with Arsenal’s beaten opponents on Saturday after their floundering defensive display.
Conte took the helm at Stamford Bridge this summer with a reputation for being a defensively astute operator using a three-man centre-back system with Italy during Euro 2016 to fabulous effect.
The Juventus trio of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini which he deployed there excelled to form undoubtedly the best defensive unit at the summer tournament.
At Chelsea though, a reported move for Bonucci failed before Conte and Chelsea pulled a surprise in re-signing David Luiz from PSG for £32m. A surprise being that Luiz is a very un-Conte like defender, notwithstanding the fact that the Brazilian is erratically unconventional at the best of times anyway.
Veteran John Terry began the season alongside current England international Gary Cahill, and Terry seemed to have adapted to Conte’s methods quite nicely as Chelsea picked up three wins and a draw from their opening four games, though tellingly only kept one clean sheet.
Terry picked up an ankle injury in the closing stages of the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Swansea and in his absence the club have lost both their games, at home to Liverpool and away at Arsenal with the Cahill-Luiz partnership proving chaotic, erratic and error-ridden.
Cahill has badly missed Terry’s assurance beside him and has been abysmal, while the signing of Luiz is already looking like the mistake many thought it might have been.
Centre-back verdict: 2/5
Manchester United
Like Arsenal, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United splashed out big time on a centre-back in the form of Villarreal’s Eric Bailly in the summer, spending £30m on the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international.
Bailly has been an ever-present in a fairly inconsistent United defence so far this season, though most supporters have been content with his individual displays.
The problem has been in who to play alongside him.
For the first four games of the season midfielder-come-centre-back-come-left-back Daley Blind has plugged that particular hole and though composed on the ball, his lack of pace and natural defensive nous has meant it has had the look of a square peg in a round hole sort of maneuver.
Blind was dropped from the heart of United’s defence after his dreadful display in the home defeat to Manchester City allowing Chris Smalling to come back into the team.
Smalling’s first game beside Bailly was United’s 3-1 hammering at Vicarage Road to Watford however, and with just Phil Jones in reserve it is hardly a position stocked full of quality and depth for Mourinho going forward.
Centre-back verdict: 3/5
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have looked sensational so far this season, but even they have not been immune to central defensive concerns.
Guardiola paid just shy of £50m for Everton’s John Stones this summer and as such the England centre-back has been involved in most of their games.
The continued injury troubles suffered by club skipper Vincent Kompany however have meant that natural left-back Aleksandar Kolarov has had to fill in at centre-back on a couple of occasions so far this season.
Kompany started for City in his comeback game against Swansea in the EFL Cup last week but picked up a groin injury, meaning he will be absent for yet another extended period of time.
Stones has looked like a Rolls Royce at times this season but at others has put the ball at risk and appeared shaky, while his relationship with new keeper Claudio Bravo has yet to reliably firm up.
Allied to this, Stones’ partner for the majority of the season to date Nicolás Otamendi continues to perform inconsistently. Brilliant one week, dodgy the next.
Centre-back verdict: 3/5
Liverpool
Like Guardiola’s City, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have enjoyed a flying start to the season but have still had defensive concerns.
Unlike the majority of their rivals in the league, Liverpool didn’t splash the cash on a a big name centre-back but spent shrewdly on two from German football.
Joël Matip arrived on a bosman free from Schalke 04, while Estonian Ragnar Klavan was signed for £4.7m from FC Augsburg.
Liverpool though, have lacked an opportunity to play the same two defenders every week, mainly through injury. Matip and Dejan Lovren have had injuries at different times, Joe Gomez is out with a serious injury, Klavan has been eased in while the ridiculous situation between Liverpool and Mamadou Sakho rumbles on, resulting in midfielder Lucas Leiva having to fill in against Leicester.
Matip and Lovren have shown promise that they could forge a profitable partnership which could possibly rival Mustafi and Koscielny but mistakes remain in Lovren’s game while Matip has yet to be truly tested, though he has looked an impressive capture so far.
Centre-back verdict: 2/5
Tottenham
The greatest challenge to the Mustafi/Koscielny partnership could possibly come from their North London rivals Spurs in the shape of Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.
The two Belgium internationals have played every minute of Tottenham’s six league games so far, forming part of the meanest defence in the Premier League with The Lilywhites conceding just three goals so far.
Alderweireld and Vertonghen have a season up on Wenger’s new pair in terms of games together and they forged an outstanding combination in Spurs’ attempted title charge last year.
With these two in the team the centre-back zone is an unquestionable area of strength for Mauricio Pochettino, however should one or both pick up injuries then Spurs could be in trouble. The only other registered centre-backs in the Tottenham squad are 23-year-old Kevin Wimmer and 18-year-old Cameron Carter-Vickers.
With Champions League fixtures an additional consideration of Pochettino’s this season, he will be praying both his Belgians stay clear of injury.
Centre-back verdict: 4/5
Leicester City
So much of Leicester’s title success last season was built upon the rock solid foundation of the Robert Huth/Wes Morgan centre-back partnership.
Luis Hernández arrived on a free from Sporting de Gijón in the summer and with Huth’s overhanging suspension was thrust straight into the team for the opening day meeting with newly promoted Hull City.
Things didn’t go to plan as the champions lost 2-1.
Huth and Morgan have restored their partnership in the five games since but have been part of a defence battered 4-1 by Liverpool and Manchester United in respective league away games.
The defeat at Old Trafford will be of particular concern to Claudio Ranieri, with three of the four goals coming from corner kicks and elementary defensive mistakes by both Huth and Morgan.
The champions have looked wobbly in their defence so far and if things don’t improve and get back to last season’s magic, it could be a long campaign for Huth, Morgan and co.
Centre-back verdict: 3/5
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