Aston Villa were just about able to secure a draw away to Bournemouth but Ezri Konsa showed his class once again in spite of the dropped points.
It was a game which Aston Villa were expected to win given their form in recent weeks. It definitely wasn’t that straightforward.
The Villans’ away form has been questioned in recent weeks and once again Unai Emery has failed to secure three points on the road. With goals from Antoine Semenyo and Dominic Solanke being cancelled out by Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins.
The performance was nothing to write home about, especially in a defensive sense as the Cherries created more chances with less possession. With that being said there was one name for the away side who stood out in the back line.
How good was Ezri Konsa vs Bournemouth?
In recent weeks, Ezri Konsa has been forced further out wide into right back and it was the same against Bournemouth. This appears to be a direct way to combat the defence from leaking goals by Emery, especially away from home.
It must be said that Konsa is a much better centre-back than a full-back but he still manages to show his class each time. With the performance of Diego Carlos, he may find himself back in his more traditional role in no time.
Despite being “out of position” the £30k-a-week Englishman was a shining light in a rather dull Villa performance. In an attacking and defensive sense, he was very positive.
According to SofaScore, Konsa was able to win 100% of his duels on the day. Whether this be 11 ground or four aerial he won all 15 against him. With that, he also won five tackles with one of those being an unbelievable last-man challenge on Justin Kluivert.
There was so much to his game in stopping the Cherries’ attacks with a block, two clearances and four recoveries. His ability to snuff out their attack was vital to keeping the score down.
In a more attacking sense, he completed 81% of his passes and had 48 touches on the ball. More than all but one Bournemouth defender and similar to Lucas Digne. He also completed 100% of dribbles and made one successful pass into the final third.
Konsa has continued to show his class this season and even out of position, he is a top talent for the Villans.
