Arsenal's Francis Coquelin: 'We proved a lot of people wrong'

A comprehensive win over Manchester United on the weekend has seemingly transformed Arsenal's season from one of dismal continental performances to discussion of their Premier League title chances, and Francis Coquelin has no problem stating the obvious.

"It's a great win for us against a big team," the defensive midfielder told The Guardian's Ian McCourt following the Gunners' one-sided victory Sunday.

"I think a lot of people didn't expect us to win but we proved a lot of people wrong. Inside the dressing room we knew we could do good things this season," Coquelin said. "We knew we could be contenders. But obviously we have to be consistent. The most important thing is to carry on now and keep getting the results."

Coquelin's loan recall from Charlton Athletic last January was the impetus for a strong second half from an Arsenal side desperate for a tough-tackling defensive oriented midfielder.

He has since played like a world-beater, laying claim to the title of one of the league's elite defensive midfielders.

"We are getting stronger against the big teams. We beat Manchester City last season, now United. It’s all about consistency. The league is getting tougher because even the smaller teams are beating the bigger teams. So we need to be getting results every week … We knew we had to put it right after Olympiacos and that's what we've done."

And that they have, heading into the international break with a head full of steam after a marquee win against a side they hadn't defeated in eight previous attempts.