Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been identified as the Premier League’s best in one impressive statistic, outranking many star names.
It’s been a remarkable season for Aston Villa, who with one game to spare, confirmed their place in the 2024/25 Champions League.
Seeing Villa return among Europe’s elite was a goal identified by NSWE in their five-year plan, with Unai Emery delivering the dream right on cue by securing a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
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For all of Villa’s efforts, the club have returned to the top where they belong, with the current crop of players to thank for the levels maintained throughout the 2023/24 season.
One figure who was instrumental in the Midlands club’s highs was Ezri Konsa, who secured 35 appearances in Emery’s defence, proving to be not only one of Villa’s best but one of the Premier League’s best too.
Ezri Konsa was better than Arsenal and Manchester City defenders in impressive statistic
While Villa’s defence was nothing to shout about in comparison to the squad’s achievements in 2023/24, Konsa shone as one of the best tacklers in the league.
As provided by WhoScored, the Englishman recorded the best tackle success rate out of the Premier League players who attempted more than 50 tackles.
With an admirable success rate of 93.1%, Konsa led the charts, with Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes coming second with 90.6%, and Crystal Palace full-back Tyrick Mitchell placing third with 86.1%.
The 26-year-old finished above all of Arsenal and Manchester City’s defenders, reinforcing how impressive his average is when placed beside the best defences in the league.
Ironically, Villa’s record when it came to conceding goals was dire in comparison to those above them, conceding 20 more than Liverpool, 27 more than City and 32 more than Arsenal.
Ezri Konsa is irreplaceable to Unai Emery
Lauded as a “Rolls-Royce” by Dean Smith, who signed the defender as a 21-year-old for just £12m, Konsa has become one of the most valued players in Emery’s squad.
One reason for this is of course his quality, but also his adaptability, being able to play at both centre-back and right-back in the manager’s defence, making his tackle success rate even more impressive.
Securing 50 appearances in all competitions over the season, Konsa was Emery’s most-used defender throughout the campaign, only missing out in the Premier League due to injury.
It’s been a season to remember for Konsa who with another consistent domestic calendar, has earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s provision squad ahead of the Euros, seeing the defender take the next step in his career as a result of his stellar displays for Villa.
There aren’t many better than Konsa in the Premier League, which is fact rather than opinion as the latest statistic reveals, a capture that has proved to be a monumental success for the Midlands club.
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