For Ezri Konsa, placing in a last-ditch, match-saving deal with to disclaim Nottingham Forest’s Liam Delap within the remaining minutes on Sunday was simply a part of his job. Nothing extra, nothing much less.
Mikel Arteta later paused and grinned whereas describing the essential sliding problem on 93 minutes as ‘unbelievable’, after the defender raced again to succeed in Delap within the nick of time and protect a hard-fought, attritional 1-0 win – and Konsa’s fifth clear sheet in 9 Arsenal appearances.
A extra becoming phrase to label the £55million summer time purchase from Aston Villa rests tattooed on 28-year-old Konsa’s left hand: ‘Blessed.’
For the Gunners couldn’t have wished for extra when on the lookout for a participant able to filling the William Saliba-shaped gap of their backline.
When it emerged Saliba could be sidelined for a chronic interval due to a again harm sustained with France on the World Cup, Arsenal fretted and a like-for-like substitute turned a summer time precedence for the crew with the perfect defensive document in every of the final three Premier League seasons.
An Arteta crew begins from a rock-solid base with a number of versatile defenders, usually on the expense of frontline choices.
Ezri Konsa has seamlessly crammed the William Saliba void at Arsenal since becoming a member of for £55m from Aston Villa this summer time
Konsa’s last-ditch deal with on Liam Delap, racing again to slip in on the excellent time, preserved Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday
Numerous right-sided centre backs who additionally cowl proper again have been checked out together with Jarell Quansah and even former Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, earlier than Konsa turned the one they set their sights on.
A lot of elements influenced Arteta’s resolution. His background checks have been glowing, helped by the defender’s pre-existing ties to the England contingent at Arsenal of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Noni Madueke.
One other was his availability at Villa, making 96 per cent of the Midlands membership’s matchday squads final season. For a crew like Arsenal looking down 4 trophies, availability is paramount. So, too, is versatility – which Konsa demonstrated by taking part in proper again for England on the World Cup.
He has slotted in seamlessly to date, beginning six of Arsenal’s seven league matches and the 2 Champions League fixtures in opposition to Napoli and Lille. The statistics mirror a centre again who’s Saliba-esque in his consolation with the ball at his toes – and able to making essential tackles in crunch moments.
Throughout the league’s defenders, he ranks fourth and sixth respectively for passing accuracy (96.13 per cent) and common carry distance with the ball (14.8 metres). Konsa’s means to drive the ball excessive up the pitch has allowed Arteta’s full backs to push on and invert successfully, which means Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori might be additional males within the attacking line.
Konsa ranks first for interceptions (eight) and second for recoveries (20, behind Gabriel’s 21) amongst Arsenal’s defenders. In opposition to Leeds he made three tackles and 5 clearances in shutting down Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and at Sunderland he was liable for keeping off the extraordinarily bodily Brian Brobbey.
On that chilly night time on the Stadium of Gentle, he stepped up on a blended night for his centre-back associate Gabriel, recovering from a penalty given in opposition to him for a tussle with Dan Ballard that was later deemed faulty, and led the backline together with his aerial duels and vital challenges to say one other clear sheet.
After which there was the thundering deal with on former Villa team-mate Morgan Rogers to assist Arsenal beat Chelsea in his first match on the Emirates Stadium and instantly endear himself to the house devoted.
Konsa’s thundering deal with on a counter-attacking Morgan Rogers helped seal victory on his house debut for Arsenal
And Konsa additionally shut down Dominic Calvert-Lewin in opposition to Leeds in one other 2-1 win
He recovered from a penalty being erroneously awarded in opposition to him at Sunderland to say one other clear sheet in what’s proving to be a unbelievable partnership with Gabriel
He has settled in effectively behind the scenes, too. Konsa is claimed to be very assured across the coaching floor with a very good sense of humour, and is a proud father of younger twins together with his girlfriend Ronni.
His ease in adjusting to life at London Colney has been seen by workers, and helped by these current relationships, with Konsa particularly near Eze. There’s additionally a maturity he and fellow summer time signing Bruno Guimaraes have delivered to the squad, having operated at an elite stage for quite a few years. This was key within the absence of Saliba, who returned to particular person coaching final week.
Arteta has a headache on his arms when the Frenchman is again match, and isn’t set on a straight swap out. He’s challenged the England man privately to battle for his place.
For now, Konsa’s subsequent process is to shackle his England skipper and Bayern Munich purpose machine Harry Kane on the Allianz Area within the Champions League on Wednesday.
Konsa boasts a powerful document in opposition to Kane, having confronted him seven occasions. The defender has 4 wins in opposition to Kane’s groups and three losses, whereas Kane has solely scored twice in opposition to him, each from penalties.
The seventh and most up-to-date assembly got here in October 2024, Konsa’s Villa beating Kane’s Bayern 1-0 at Villa Park.
‘The Villa-Bayern recreation… to beat them at house and maintain a clear sheet… it was very particular for the gamers and the followers,’ stated Konsa. ‘I don’t actually look a lot at these form of stats (in opposition to particular person gamers) however I’m relishing the problem.’
The expertise has at all times been there. Konsa’s youth have been spent at Senrab FC, in Forest Gate, London, with alumni together with former Arsenal Invincible Sol Campbell and John Terry. Konsa was labelled the subsequent Rio Ferdinand in his youth.
Konsa boasts a powerful document in opposition to Harry Kane in seven conferences, successful 4 of them. Kane has solely scored twice in opposition to him, each from penalties
Delap was the most recent to run into Konsa on Sunday and are available up empty-handed
Konsa has stepped as much as meet the second all through his profession as he is risen from Brentford to Aston Villa, grow to be an England common and now taken to life at Arsenal with ease.
For all the eye on Kane’s extraordinary scoring document of 155 targets in 157 appearances at Bayern, Konsa has constructed his profession on making life uncomfortable for the best forwards within the recreation.
Erling Haaland, for instance, has only one purpose in six video games in opposition to Konsa for membership and nation, and Delap was the most recent to run into the England man’s defensive wall.
On Wednesday in Munich, he has one other probability to show that his calmness and knack for a decisive intervention can carry Arsenal by their hardest take a look at thus far this season.
