Francis Coquelin: Since return from Charlton on loan in January Francis Coquelin’s rise to prominence has symbolised Arsenal’s season of continual peaks of troughs. The French 23 year-old has made 13 Premier League appearances this season (three sub appearances) and has been toward the top in terms of successful tackles and interceptions per game, averaging 3.5 tackles and 3.2 interceptions per game.
His abilities are not just defensively though; indeed Coquelin’s ability on the ball has been steadily improving in recent weeks wherein he has averaged 1.2 successful dribbles per game, along with an average pass success rate of 83.6%.
Facing West Ham a war of attrition in the middle of the park awaits, with a dominant midfield performance a prerequisite for both sides. Coquelin has quietly been one of the more impressive midfielders recently and should continue his form on Saturday afternoon.
Stewart Downing: Stewart Downing’s revival this seen has been similar to West Ham’s season; oddly impressive but with an inevitable dib in recent weeks. Indeed, just a the Hammers threatened to be one of the Premier League’s top sides in the first few month of the season, Downing’s positional switch to an attacking midfield role revived Downing who failed to impress since his heady Aston Villa days.
Downing has featured in 27 Premier League games for the Hammers this season. Having scored five goals and assisted eight times in those 27 games Downing has directly contributed to a goal every 185 minute of play. Downing’s improved form can be viewed elsewhere too, completing 0.7 dribbles per game along with 2.6 key passes per game.
Downing will likely be moved back to his natural left-wing role with only one striker available, with Kevin Nolan moving into an attacking midfield role. Nevertheless Downing’s dynamism and confidence in attack will be key should the Hammers hope to get anything at The Emirates on Saturday afternoon.
Santi Cazorla: Playing in a relatively unorthodox deeper central midfield role of late the diminutive attacker has thrived, with fair debate surrounding whether he could be Arsenal’s player of the season (although the award will likely end up at the feet of the Chilean Alexis Sanchez. Indeed, Cazorla’s performance against Manchester City recently was one of the most eye opening performances seen throughout the whole campaign.
Contributing seven goals and six assists in 27 Premier League appearances (three of which he came on as a sub), the Spaniard has directly contributed to a goal every 169 minutes of play. What’s so impressive though, has been Cazorla’s consummate central midfield performances.
On Monday night at Old Trafford, Cazorla won six tackles (more than any other Arsenal player), recorded an 87.5% pass completion rate (higher than any other Arsenal player) and dribbled past three Manchester United players (only Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could boast a more productive evening).
While Saturday may indeed be a ‘war of attrition’ in central midfield, Cazorla’s newly-found nous sees him as competent as any, aligning technical ability with physical effort.
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