Computer games are eerily realistic today, and none more so than FIFA 2016. Electronic Arts sporting masterpiece offers a near-perfect rendition of Premier League football. The graphics, physics and likenesses are truer to life than ever before.However, it is not entirely without inaccuracy. Every season, the stats given to certain players will infuriate that teams supporters. Theres nothing more frustrating than taking charge of your favourite team only to discover your player appears bereft of the abilities he shows week-in and week-out on the field.Arsenal fans will have that experience in a couple of cases with FIFA 16. Several of their first-team players might feel they have been short-changed by the stats teams. Hector Bellerin, for example, surely deserves better than an overall rating of 74. The young Spaniard, 20, has become one of the most exciting attacking full-backs in Europe, yet has a lower rating than, say, unheralded utility player, Mathieu Flamini.However, theres one Arsenal player whose rating is so low that it stands out from all others. In assessing the Gunners squad, the makers of FIFA have hugely underrated Francis Coquelin.To an extent, thats understandable: Many Arsenal fans were probably guilty of doing the same. Few anticipated that Coquelin would ever reach the level hes at now. At the outset of last season, the 24-year-old was a reserve player with no real prospects of regular first-team football. He was even sent out on loan to Championship side, Charlton, and few Gunners supporters expected him to come back.However, the second half of 2015/16 saw an astronomical rise for the Frenchman. When an injury crisis granted him an opportunity in the first-team, he seized it in spectacular fashion. Coquelin hasnt looked back since. By the time this season began, he was established as one of the first names on Arsene Wengers team-sheet.One would expect that to be recognised in his FIFA 16 stats. However, his overall grading stands at just 78. Thats lower than the veteran pair of Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky, neither of whom currently play a major part in Wengers plans.Its an absurdly low figure given quite how important Coquelin has become to the Arsenal team. In reality, starting a game without him would be unthinkable. In the FIFA 16 world, the temptation is to leave him out entirely. Coquelins performances deserve better than what EA have given him.In the case of Bellerin, the makers of the game could argue he is a young player with plenty of potential to grow. However, Coquelin will be 25 before the end of the season. He is a player in his prime, and deserves statistics that reflect that.His ability to intercept the ball has at least been recognised, with a mark of 84. Similarly, his capacity to spin away from markers in a congested midfield is demonstrated by a balance rating of 83. His combative spirit is also indicated by an aggression rating of 88. However, aside from that, his numbers are criminally low.Low shooting stats are understandable. Coquelin is no goalscorer, and is in fact still awaiting his first senior strike in Arsenal colours. With that in mind, an overall shooting score of 54 is not unreasonable. If theres an area where his stats were likely to fall down, its surely here.However, his lack of predatory instinct should not be mistaken for any lack of technical ability. In this seasons Premier League, he has a passing accuracy of 91 percent, a figure unsurpassed in the Arsenal squad. Its exactly the same ratio as Arteta, who has been afforded a passing rating of 82 by FIFA 16. Coquelin, stands at just 70.Giving Coquelin just 78 for short-passing is unduly harsh. The Frenchman is very tidy when playing the ball in tight areas of the field, regularly weaving neat triangles with Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey. Hes also a better dribbler than hes given credit for. A mark of 76 compares poorly with Artetas 78, yet its almost impossible to recall Arteta ever opting to run with the ball. Coquelin, on the other hand, is capable of shimmying between the opposition quite effectively.Hes no slouch either. A pace stat of 70 does not do justice to the bursts of acceleration that allow Coquelin to pick up loose balls or close down the opposition. Speed is a vital stat on FIFA 2016, and Coquelins athletic ability has not been done justice.Perhaps most shockingly, his impeccable defensive instincts have not been properly reflected in the game. FIFA has awarded Coquelin just 72 for marking, and 78 for slide tackles.Those are crazy numbers, given that the Frenchman is one of the most effective ball-winners in the Premier League. This season, he has made an average of four defensive actions per game, winning 66 percent of his tackles in the process. Coquelin is a fearsome yet accurate tackler, and that facet of his game ought to be present in a game with aspirations of realism.Hes also triumphed in 57 percent of his 14 headed duels. With that in mind, a heading rating of a mere 50 is simply bizarre. Theres no reason Coquelin should be regarded as worse in the air than, for example, Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell.Its difficult to ascertain how Coquelin has ended up being rated quite so low by the FIFA 16 stats team. Perhaps his lack of continental reputation is an issue. Although Coquelin is highly valued at Arsenal, he has not yet been recognised on the senior international stage. If his form continues to be as good as it currently is, that first cap can not be far behind.That would mean inclusion in the official game for Euro 2016which will be presented by Konami rather than Electronic Arts. Perhaps the Japanese developer will be able to produce a more accurate reflection of Coquelins under-appreciated talents.*All real-world football stats via SquawkaJamesMcNicholasis Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitterhere.
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