Ezri Konsa, the best Arsenal signing of last window, gives Mikel Arteta a welcome selection headache

Arsenal’s outstanding antiaircraft show successful the 1-0 triumph implicit Liverpool astatine Anfield connected Sunday ended a 14-year hold for a Premier League triumph astatine their rival’s ground. The effect was built connected superb organisation and subject successful beforehand of David Raya’s goal, and 1 of the standout names was Ezri Konsa.

The England defender produced a top-level show to unafraid the cleanable sheet. According to Opta, helium won 8 of 9 duels, made 8 clearances, 5 tackles, 5 recoveries and 2 blocks, and won 2 fouls.

Ezri Konsa leads Anfield antiaircraft masterclass

For the archetypal clip successful the Premier League era, Liverpool did not registry a azygous changeable connected people successful a crippled astatine Anfield, a people that highlights the outstanding corporate defending and the show of the centre-back pairing. Konsa’s knowing with Gabriel Magalhaes makes it look arsenic though the 2 person played unneurotic for galore seasons.

So far, Konsa has maintained the precocious level helium showed astatine his erstwhile club, Aston Villa. He has made lone 13 appearances for the Gunners this season, yet he already merits the statement of a palmy signing. His assured displays person astir made supporters hide who held the presumption earlier his arrival.

The 29-year-old joined Arsenal successful August for £51m to regenerate William Saliba, who suffered a superior backmost injury that forced him disconnected successful the World Cup semi-final betwixt France and Spain.

Mikel Arteta faces invited enactment headache

Saliba, who is not expected to instrumentality until the extremity of this month, had been 1 of Arsenal’s antiaircraft foundations successful caller seasons, and the nine decided to bring successful an extracurricular name, adjacent though Christian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber could each person played there.

From here, brag Mikel Arteta volition person the benignant of enactment headache each manager dreams of. Konsa and Saliba volition vie astatine a precocious level to play alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, and Arsenal tin lone benefit.

The play is agelong and the Gunners volition vie for each trophy. Having elite players some connected the transportation and connected the seat is indispensable to withstand the carnal strain implicit the months ahead.

In caller seasons, Arsenal person made bully signings, particularly successful defence, specified arsenic Timber, Calafiori and Hincapie. Konsa shares a cardinal diagnostic with those names. His versatility, arsenic helium tin besides play astatine right-back, gives Arteta a scope of options precise fewer European clubs tin match, and implicit a agelong play that could beryllium decisive.