Speaking to the club’s official website, Francis Coquelin has gone on to explain that he brings balance to the Arsenal side.

Coquelin’s loan spell at Charlton Athletic during the 2014/15 season was cut short due to Arsenal’s injury crisis in midfield and since making a return to the Emirates Stadium from the Valley, the Frenchman has unexpectedly managed to become an integral figure of the Gunners’ first team.

The 25-year-old has put in numerous quality performances at the middle of the park for Arsenal over the past two seasons and despite the big money arrival of Granit Xhaka over the summer, the ex-Lorient star remains a crucial component for the North London giants during the current campaign.

Coquelin has recently spoke about his success at Arsenal and has insisted that he is not taking anything for granted despite enjoying a lot of regular minutes on the pitch as the competition for places is very fierce at the moment.

He told Arsenal’s official website, "I don’t take anything for granted. Obviously we’ve got a massive squad with lots of quality players, so I’m trying to do my best every time I’m out there on the pitch.

"At the minute I’m the one starting quite a lot of games, but you never know, maybe tomorrow it can be someone else. The most important thing is that the team perform and get the points and if it’s me, perfect, and if it’s someone else, so long as it does the job - that’s the most important thing.”

Coquelin explains his importance to Arsenal

The ex-France Under-21 international then went on to explain that he is unique from the rest of the midfielders present at Arsenal due to his defensive mentality and added that he provides his side much needed balance.

He continued, "I think defensively I’m probably the most defensive-minded player in the middle, so if I can give the balance to the team then that’s what I’m trying to do. Hopefully I can carry on doing that in the coming games."

Coquelin may surely not be the most eye catching of players in the Arsenal squad but his importance to the team most certainly cannot be undermined.