Ezri Konsa has been an underrated figure at Aston Villa for many years.
You sense that in November 2023, when Konsa received his first England call-up, that he was starting to get recognised by those outside the four walls of Aston Villa.
In B6, he is very popular, ice-cool, consistent, reliable and one of the best one-v-one defenders in the the Premier League.
But only until Unai Emery arrived did Konsa start getting the respect that he deserved and now everyone can see how good he is.
Konsa also played a key role in Villa reaching the Champions League, not only playing as a centre-back, but also as a right-back.
Many at Villa Park believe he is the club’s best centre-back and right-back, which goes to show his quality.
But there is a recent statistic, topped by Youri Tielemans, which Konsa is surprisingly involved in and he sits alongside names, such as Cole Palmer.
Youri Tielemans has played the most through balls in the Premier League
The through ball is seen as that risky pass, the line breaker and the one that gets your attacking teammate through on goal.
You suspect players like Tielemans to be on there and he tops the list in the Premier League this season with the most through balls (7).
That shouldn’t be a surprise because Tielemans has been Villa’s best player this season.
But Konsa also making that list with five is a surprise and he is in serious company, as posted by Aston Villa Statto on Twitter.
Ezri Konsa’s stats for Aston Villa
He could argue that he is one of the first names on the team sheet, it’s just a case of where Emery plays him.
Given Matty Cash’s inconsistent performances for Villa, some want to see Konsa at right-back, with Diego Carlos then partnering Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
But others feel your best defender should go at centre-back. Either way, Villa are very blessed to have him.
WhoScored have rated Konsa just under seven for his Champions League performances and overall of 6.65, with 50 average passes per game in the Premier League.
| Tournament | Apps | Mins | Goals | Avg pass | Yel | Clear | PS% | AerialsWon | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions League | 3 | 270 | – | 32.3 | – | 1.7 | 94.8 | 1.3 | 6.99 |
| UEFA Nations League B England | 1 | 61 | – | 49 | – | – | 89.8 | 1 | 6.72 |
| Premier League | 8 | 642 | 1 | 50.3 | – | 2.9 | 92.8 | 0.9 | 6.67 |
| European Championship England | 1(2) | 94 | – | 16.7 | – | 2.3 | 96 | – | 6.22 |
| Int. Friendly England | 2(2) | N/A | – | N/A | – | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| Total / Average | 19 | 1067 | 1 | 39.9 | 0 | 2.3 | 93.6 | 0.8 | 6.65 |
