Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been one of the key cogs behind their success and it has now emerged he ranks behind only Virgil van Dijk for an impressive statistic.
The Premier League has reached its penultimate weekend, with Aston Villa on the verge of securing Champions League qualification.
Unai Emery’s men are seven points clear of Tottenham, needing just two points from their final games – or Spurs to drop points against Burnley – to cement their place in the top four.
Ollie Watkins has, of course, dominated the headlines for breaking numerous records throughout the campaign and if he scores one more goal, he will become the first Villa player ever to plunder 20 Premier League goals in one season.
Watkins however, isn’t the only Englishman who has had a stellar campaign, with defender Ezri Konsa proving an invaluable figure in Emery’s starting XI.
Only Virgil van Dijk beats Ezri Konsa for impressive Premier League statistic
Konsa’s versatility and quality defensive talents have seen him adapt to numerous roles, operating as centre-back or full-back depending on Emery’s system.
The 26-year-old was recently dubbed the ‘best defender at Aston Villa’ and in a squad consisting of Pau Torres and Diego Carlos, that is high praise for the defensive titan.
Konsa isn’t just highly regarded at Villa Park, as he’s one of the best defenders in the Premier League, having shot onto the international scene with England.
One impressive statistic also supports such a claim, as according to TheOther14 Twitter account, Konsa has been dribbled past the second-fewest times in the top flight this term, with only Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk beating him.
Konsa has been dribbled past just three times, putting him ahead of Arsenal duo Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Manchester City brute Ruben Dias.
Tyrone Mings will find it difficult to break back into Aston Villa’s plans
Konsa has been ever-present for Aston Villa across the past few seasons, with his impact defensively reaching unbelievable heights this term.
No longer just a peripheral figure, the Englishman is indispensable to Villa’s starting XI, spelling bad news for Tyrone Mings.
Mings has been sidelined for the full season with an injury after starting the opening day loss to Newcastle but once he returns, he could struggle to break back in.
Villa’s defence has gone up a level this term, with only Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Everton conceding fewer than their tally of 53.
Indeed, Carlos, Torres and Konsa, in particular, have contributed to their strong defence, glued together by the wall of Emi Martinez.
It will be interesting to see how Emery will use Mings next season, as currently, it looks like an impossible task for him to play regular matches.
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