Koscielny: I´m in the form of my life

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny says he is in the ‘form of his life’ and claims he has adapted to the pressures of the English game.

The Frenchman was part of the Gunners’ side that disposed of local rivals Chelsea 5-3 on Saturday and, after a tough start to his Arsenal career, he has begun to blossom under manager Arsene Wenger’s guidance.

Wenger has praised his compatriot for his recent performances and Koscielny agrees he is starting to come into his own.

“I feel I’m in the best form of my life,” Koscielny told Arsenal’s official website.

“I’ve improved a lot. I keep working on the basics, my control and my passes.”

“I’m also more rigorous. I make less fouls and get less booked as I needed time to adapt to England. I also cope better with the pressure of playing in a very big club. And I know I can improve even more.”

“Chelsea was one of the best performances of my career, along with the win against Barcelona at home last season.”

“Most importantly it’s a win that will bring the team together even more and will bring great confidence.”

With eight wins from their last nine games in all competitions, Koscielny believes there is a strong bond among the players at the Emirates.

“There is a new team spirit at the club,” he said. “We are all fighting for each other, we are all united.”

“Everybody defends. If you just defend with the four defenders, it’s difficult. But now we are a real unit and it’s easier. The new players have now adapted well to the team and to the football we play.”

“We have gained more serenity too. At Chelsea, even when we were a goal behind, I knew we would win. We have improved so much in the last month and we have players in great form like Robin (van Persie).”

“We all became aware that we could achieve something great this season. This team is growing and so am I.”