When Arsenal completed the £55 million transfer of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa this summer, he was originally viewed by many observers as just a depth option following a long-term injury to William Saliba.
Saliba finished joint-29th in the Ballon d'Or standings, and is one of the best center backs in the world. Many expected Konsa to be just a deputy. However, he has transformed from a high-grade backup into the definitive frontrunner for Premier League signing of the season.
In his first 10 starts for the Gunners, Konsa has registered 6 clean sheets, including vital 1-0 away victories against Liverpool at Anfield and Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
With Saliba scheduled to return to full fitness later this month, Mikel Arteta faces a dilemma: Does he automatically restore his French cornerstone, or does he keep faith in the league's most in-form defender?
Analysing live per-90 metrics from FotMob and positional heatmaps from Opta, we breakdown how Konsa has engineered this selection headache.
Fantastic one v one defending
Konsa’s defensive contribution has mirrored the exact steeliness and physical intensity that Arteta demands from his backline.
According to FotMob per-90 data, Konsa ranks among the most efficient duelists in European football:
Opposing wingers have found virtually zero joy isolating Konsa. He is dribbled past just 0.28 times per 90 minutes, allowing Arsenal to maintain high defensive lines without fear of getting turned out wide.
Averaging 2.11 tackles and 1.12 interceptions per 90, Konsa actively steps up out of the backline to nip counter-attacks before they reach the final third. He showed this against Liverpool when he stopped
Bradley Barcola on his tracks after the Frenchman had maneuvered his way through Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber.
Arsenal concede just 0.70 goals per 90 with Konsa on the pitch, significantly outperforming their expected goals against (xG Against) of 0.94.
Right-channel dominance
Opta Analyst data reveals that Konsa is not merely a central defender operating in a vacuum. His positional coverage allows Arteta to execute subtle tactical tweaks.
Konsa’s Opta heatmap demonstrates an intense concentration of touches across the entire right half-space and wide defensive third.
His ability to slide out wide seamlessly to cover for overlapping fullbacks gives Arsenal coverage during counter attacking situations
Placing in the 71st percentile for aerials won and boasting an 88th percentile rank for goals/box threat, Konsa combines set-piece presence with rigid aerial control (51.7% win rate).
Drawing 1.97 fouls won per 90 (with a high-intensity green FotMob rating bar), Konsa acts as a pressure valve, repeatedly winning defensive free-kicks to break opposing momentum when Arsenal build out from deep.
The tactical options ahead for Mikel Arteta
Saliba’s impending return creates three distinct avenues for Arteta as Arsenal head into a crucial winter title sprint:
Option A: Konsa becomes a regular rotation option
Saliba resumes his partnership alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, with Konsa providing elite rotation across domestic and European fixtures—preventing the defensive fatigue that plagued Arsenal in previous campaigns.
Option B: Konsa retains his place on merit
Rewarding momentum. Given that Konsa has posted 6 clean sheets in 10 starts and anchored hard-fought wins at Anfield, benching an in-form England international sends the wrong tactical message to a squad built on meritocracy.
Option C: Saliba and Konsa could co-exist
Shifting Konsa to right-back or utilising a hybrid back-three setup. With Konsa’s comfort in wide areas (demonstrated by his Opta heatmap), Arteta could field Saliba and Gabriel centrally while shifting Konsa to a hybrid right-back role, mirroring the flexibility deployed with Ben White and Jurrien Timber, who are also capable of playing very well at center back.
It is possible to also test Saliba and Konsa as the two center backs, with Saliba replicating his role for France where he plays as a left sided center half, but Mikel Arteta has a preference for left-footed centre back playing in that role, as it can help open up certain passing angles when building from the back.
Final Thoughts
Konsa’s £55 million arrival has given Arsenal unprecedented defensive steel. His first three months in North London may very well define Arsenal's title charge.
Regardless, Mikel Arteta now has three high quality options to choose from.
