Konsa praises fans and teammates after strong debut for Arsenal against Chelsea

English player, Ezri Konsa, said he “felt right at home from day one” after making a great debut at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal in their 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea on Sunday.

The defender fought in 12 duels and won eight, his best numbers in a Premier League match since December 2024. He played well alongside Gabriel in Arsenal’s defence.

Konsa, who joined from Aston Villa this summer, made a memorable play when he tackled Morgan Rogers as Chelsea tried to counter-attack. The crowd at the Emirates cheered loudly for him.

Rogers is a former Aston Villa teammate and a close friend of Konsa’s. But Konsa said their friendship did not matter once the match started.
“[Rogers] is a good friend of mine, but on the pitch, it’s a different story. I saw the opportunity to go in and make the tackle, and it came off,” Konsa told Arsenal’s website on Sunday.

Enjoying the Debut

Konsa reflected on his debut, saying he loved the experience, especially because it was his first London derby. “I really enjoyed the occasion. My first London derby and I thought the fans were fantastic, superb. They stayed behind us throughout the whole game; without them, these games are impossible.”

Arsenal went down early after a goal from Morgan Rogers. But they bounced back with goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, keeping their perfect start to the Premier League season.

Konsa said the team’s response after conceding showed their character.
“Conceding so early isn’t great, and I know we take a lot of pride here in keeping clean sheets, but I thought the reaction was second to none, it was fantastic. It just goes to show the character and the mentality of this team.”

Settling In

The 28-year-old shared that he has quickly settled into life at Arsenal since joining a few weeks ago. “I felt right at home from day one,” he said. “The boys have been top, the staff have been top. Like I said before in previous interviews, this style really suits me, I love the boss’ way of playing. The amount of quality that we have and the amount of quality I have around me makes things easier.”

Konsa also mentioned that Arsenal needs to stay focused despite their strong start.
“I think it’s important you go into different games with confidence. We’ve started really well but it’s still early days. We’re going to take it game by game and day by day.”

PUNCH Online reports that Konsa made his debut last week against his old club Aston Villa at Villa Park, playing 11 minutes in Arsenal’s 1-0 win.