Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa started for England in their win over Finland in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday night.
Ezri Konsa was left out of the starting XI in England’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday but was selected by Lee Carsley against Finland.
Konsa started alongside Manchester City ace John Stones in the heart of the defence as the Three Lions secured a comfortable 2-0 victory.
The Aston Villa defender has become a crucial figure for club and country. For Unai Emery, he’s helped the Villans qualify for the Champions League, whereas for England, he’s arguably their most important defender.
Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa sends clear message to Lee Carsley after England beat Finland
Former Birmingham City midfielder Carsley has been put in interim charge of the national side and in only his second game, the early signs suggest the football is going to be more exciting than what was served up under Gareth Southgate.
The Three Lions are playing at a faster tempo and against Finland, were perhaps unfortunate not to score more as Harry Kane netted twice.
At the other end, Konsa was unsurprisingly a calming influence next to Stones and proved why he should be one of the first defenders named on the team sheet.
Konsa was withdrawn in the 60th minute for Levi Colwill but before being substituted, the 26-year-old put in a complete performance at the back.
The Independent dubbed him as ‘important’ in their player ratings, with the Englishman recording a 90% pass completion (44/49) while winning all four of his ground duels and drawing three fouls.
Although England came up against lower-ranked opposition, Konsa still sent a clear message to Carsley that he should be a regular starter for England in the high-pressure tournament matches.
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Konsa’s importance to Unai Emery in the Champions League
Following a productive outing on the international stage for England, Konsa will return to club action this weekend as Aston Villa face Everton on Saturday evening.
Thankfully, Carsley provided a positive injury update on Konsa after he was substituted at Wembley, with the interim boss claiming he “looked okay”.
This will have been a relief to hear for Emery, who needs arguably his most important defender fit for the huge games coming up.
After playing Everton this weekend, Aston Villa travel to Young Boys for their first Champions League outing and Konsa will be crucial in their chances of competing across all fronts.
The former Brentford man possesses positional versatility, meaning he can be used as a right-back or centre-back while his partnership with Pau Torres will be so important.
Konsa avoiding injury and suspension in the coming months could determine how successful Villa are during a hectic fixture schedule.
