The England international arrived from Aston Villa in the summer with questions surrounding Arsenal’s decision to spend heavily on a centre-back despite already boasting one of the Premier League’s strongest defences. Nine games into his spell in north London, however, Konsa has made an impressive start.
With William Saliba sidelined by a back injury, the 28-year-old has stepped into the defensive line and helped Arsenal maintain their standards. His performance in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest included a late, well-timed tackle on Liam Delap, underlining the qualities that persuaded the club to pay up to £55 million for his signature.
Those who worked with Konsa earlier in his career are not surprised by his progress. Steve Avory, the former Charlton Athletic academy director who brought him to the club at the age of 12, remembers a youngster whose athleticism stood out immediately.
“He’s always had that ability to move like a Rolls-Royce. It just seemed like there was no effort needed to get to top speed,” Avory told The Sun.
“At times when he was in the youth teams, you thought he was lucky because he used his pace to get out of trouble.
“But what I’ve appreciated more as he’s played at the top level is that he’s an excellent reader of the game and at timing his tackles.”
Konsa initially played in midfield during his development at Charlton before moving into central defence. Former team-mate Jason Pearce believes his grounding in League One helped prepare him for the physical and tactical demands of top-flight football.
“He got a grounding by playing in League One at an early age,” Pearce said.
“At that level, you’ve got to be good defensively, win your duels, win your headers — and then there’ll be moments when you can play.
“When I watch him in the Premier League now, he does the same thing he was doing when he was 18 or 19.”
Pearce sees similarities between Konsa and former England defender Rio Ferdinand, particularly in his ability to combine defensive strength with composure on the ball.
“We all talk about John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, and I would liken him more to Rio. He’s not just a ball-playing centre-back — he’s got everything.”
Konsa’s development continued after he joined Brentford in 2018. Dean Smith, then the club’s head coach, valued his ability to build attacks from defence, while assistant Richard O’Kelly helped devise a physical programme to complement his technical qualities.
O’Kelly said Konsa responded with the dedication required to improve, regularly working on his game and studying video footage.
“Ezri needed some work in the gym to complement the rest of the stuff that he had, so that’s what he did,” he explained.
“He put in the dedication that was needed for the work — and saw the benefits of it. He was always working on his game and always looking at video clips. His work ethic was second to none.”
O’Kelly also highlighted a less visible quality: Konsa’s consideration for others. He described a player who noticed when team-mates were struggling and offered support rather than focusing solely on himself.
“He wasn’t just ‘me, me, me’. He cared for other people,” he said.
“He was a conscientious footballer and a really good person. He was everything you’d want from a team-mate.”
That combination of composure, athleticism and character has helped Konsa settle quickly at Arsenal. With Bayern Munich next in the Champions League, his growing influence will face another major test against elite opposition.