Konsa steps up as Saliba remains sidelined for Arsenal

Ezri Konsa has helped Arsenal maintain the Premier League’s tightest defence while William Saliba remains sidelined, scoring his first goal for the club in Saturday’s win over Everton.

Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals after eight league games and kept five clean sheets. Konsa, signed from Aston Villa for £55m in August, has started six of those matches and all three of the club’s Champions League games alongside Gabriel Magalhães. The pair are unbeaten in Europe.

Saliba has yet to play this season after Arsenal said in July that he would miss an “extended period” with a back problem. He is training individually on grass but has no return date, according to BBC Sport. Mikel Arteta said the club were “desperate to have him back”.

Konsa’s start has been striking given he joined on the opening day of the season without a pre-season. He has completed 311 of 324 Premier League passes, a 96% success rate, the best in the league so far, BBC Sport reported. Arteta described his settling-in as “unbelievable” and praised the chemistry he has built with Gabriel.

The partnership has made an immediate contribution: both defenders scored against Everton, the first time Arsenal had two centre-backs score in a Premier League match since February 2024. Konsa, who can also play at right-back, faces a different challenge when Saliba returns.