Arsenal legend Ian Wright has expressed confidence that Ezri Konsa will become another influential signing for the Premier League champions, following the defender's impressive performance in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's side maintained their perfect start to the title defence, coming from behind after Morgan Rogers' early volley to secure the win through goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard. Arsenal and Manchester City remain the only teams with a perfect record after three games, while Chelsea stay fourth following their first defeat of the season.
Konsa's debut display wins praise
Two of Arteta's summer signings were involved in the match, with Konsa helping to nullify Chelsea's attacking trio and Christos Tzolis impressing on the left wing. The £75m signing Bruno Guimaraes was named on the bench but was not required, having picked up a knock in the previous win over Aston Villa less than a week earlier.
Arteta had been keen to bring in the England international after William Saliba returned from the World Cup with a significant injury. Konsa arrived from Aston Villa in a deal worth £55m, and Wright believes the signing addresses a crucial need.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Wright said: 'Mikel Arteta has always said he doesn't want a big drop-off [from his starting line-up and bench]. Now you would struggle not to have a drop-off when you consider what William Saliba has done for Arsenal but I think Ezri Konsa is a fantastic signing.'
Wright added: 'Look at his capabilities and experience and the fact he's versatile as well. We needed someone like him because of Saliba's injury. It was a fantastic signing if you look at his age and experience.'
Arteta and Konsa react to the win
Konsa sparked cheers from the Arsenal supporters with a well-timed tackle on Chelsea's summer signing and former Aston Villa teammate Rogers. Reacting to that moment, Arteta said in his post-match press conference: 'A very English tackle, the crowd reacted immediately – you guys love that more than a goal sometimes! It was great, obviously. What Ezri has done – he's played 11 minutes, he had five or six training sessions and the way he played man-to-man against an opponent like Joao Pedro – I thought he was phenomenal.'
Konsa himself expressed delight at marking his first game at the Emirates as an Arsenal player with an important win. 'I love duels,' he said. 'As a defender, I think these are things you have to cherish. For me personally, I love a challenge. I love being in duels. I had a few today and I'm glad I came out on top.'
On facing his friend Rogers, Konsa added: '[Rogers] is a good friend of mine, but on the pitch, it's a different story. I saw the opportunity to go in and make the tackle, and it came off.'
Konsa settles in quickly at Arsenal
Reflecting on the atmosphere, Konsa said: 'I really enjoyed the occasion. My first London derby and I thought the fans were fantastic, superb. They stayed behind us throughout the whole game; without them, these games are impossible.'
He acknowledged the early setback but praised the team's response: 'Conceding so early isn't great, and I know we take a lot of pride here in keeping clean sheets, but I thought the reaction was second to none, it was fantastic. It just goes to show the character and the mentality of this team.'
Konsa also spoke about settling into his new surroundings: 'I felt right at home from day one. The boys have been top, the staff have been top. Like I said before in previous interviews, this style really suits me – I love the boss' way of playing. The amount of quality that we have and the amount of quality I have around me makes things easier.'
Looking ahead, he added: 'I think it's important you go into different games with confidence. We've started really well but it's still early days. We're going to take it game by game and day by day.'
