Monday night was all about Paul Pogba for the French press.
Criticising him heavily before the game, they made a very smug U-turn with praise, front pages and interviews with former footballers, probably feeling like they were the reason behind it.
Regardless of the quality of the Manchester United midfielder’s performance, he wasn’t man of the match, even if he did score the winning goal.
No, for L’Equipe, one man performed even better, and that was Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny. 
Once of Rangers and Newcastle fame, the 27-time capped France centre-back explained to the French newspaper exactly why the Premier League defender was the best defender on the pitch.
He said: “The defence was good, especially the Koscielny/Varane combo, which is starting to impose itself as one of the best in the world. They complimented each other very well.
“Koscielny was the best, he lost very few duels. He’s extremely good, especially in his ability to project forward, which is what led to the France goal. He anticipates and reads the game really well.”
Often criticised in the past, somewhat unfairly, for picking up silly yellows and having the occasional brain fart, the Arsenal vice-captain has, in recent years, established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
At 31, he still has a few years left at the top level, and with his consistency, he’s undoubtedly got a couple more man of the match performances up his sleeve, whether it is for club or country.
