Vermaelen: Koscielny has had an amazing season at Arsenal

Belgian was sidelined early this season and was later moved out wide during an injury crisis, but he has high praise for his fellow centre-back after resuming their partnership

Thomas Vermaelen has praised his team-mate Laurent Koscielny for his "amazing" season at the heart of the Arsenal defence.

The former Lorient man has overcome a trying first campaign for the Gunners last term to excel in his 39 appearances so far in 2011-12, and the Belgian says that he always had faith in his colleague.
 
“He has done amazing this season,” Vermaelen told the club’s official website.

“I don't understand why a lot of criticism was there in the first season. The first week I saw him you could tell he was a great player and now it is all coming out in his second season. I am really happy for him.”

The 26-year-old has featured throughout the campaign at centre-back as a rare source of continuity in a back line that has been disrupted by injuries, first to Vermaelen and then all four of the club’s full-backs; Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos.

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Vermaelen went on to express his relief at eventually being able to move back across from left-back to central defence and resume his partnership with Koscielny.

“In the last couple of months we have played together a lot of times and I am pleased with that,” he continued.

“He is a great player. I think we know each other's qualities so at the moment it is going well.

 “He is good all-round. He is quick, strong and good with the ball.

“I think we are quite similar players as well. There are just a lot of things about defending that he is really good at and that is why I like him.
 
“We want to play from the back of course, that is how we always want to play. He is really good in that as well so that always gives you more confidence at the back.”