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Coquelin on facing Hazard and Fabregas

Francis Coquelin is ready to test himself against Chelsea's midfield stars.

The Frenchman has excelled this season, establishing himself as a regular in Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up. But he faces arguably his biggest challenge yet when the Premier League leaders visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“We’ve played against big teams in the last few weeks,” Coquelin told Arsenal Player.

"You need to be focused the whole time and that’s what I’m trying to do for the 90 minutes"

Francis Coquelin

"Liverpool have Philippe Coutinho and now it’s going to be different opposition with Eden Hazard. He is probably one of the best players in the league, maybe even the best this season. It’s going to be a tough game but like in every big game you want to win.

“Hazard and Cesc Fabregas are great players who can do such great things at any time in the day. You need to be focused the whole time and that’s what I’m trying to do for the 90 minutes."

Coquelin's role is similar to that of Nemanja Matic, and the Arsenal midfielder is a big fan of the Serbian.

“What he’s done is unbelievable,” he said. “At Chelsea he is one of the main men so credit to him, he’s had a great season and is a great player. It’s always good to play against players like that.

“It’s an important position and Matic has shown how important he is - that’s what I’m trying to do as well for Arsenal. The fans want a good defensive midfielder, they know it’s important for the team.”

Francis Coquelin

Francis Coquelin