Konsa bullish about Arsenal’s Champions League hopes as Bayern conflict looms

For Ezri Konsa, it was only a splendidly satisfying problem. The Nottingham Forest striker Liam Delap had stolen in behind him up the within left channel on Sunday. There had been 93 minutes gone, Arsenal had been 1-0 up and it was now or by no means for Forest. Konsa decreed that it could be by no means, curving his masking run again, matching Delap for tempo and stretching into the right block sort out.

So, another win for Arsenal: their tenth in 11 matches this season. Another clear sheet. And for Konsa, a continuation of what has been a dreamlike couple of months. Do points-saving last-minute challenges imply extra when the defender is definitely a fan of the membership, too? Basically, sure.

“I’ve been requested this rather a lot,” Konsa says with a smile, when the topic of his boyhood allegiance is raised. “And, sure, I used to be [an Arsenal supporter]. I had plenty of Arsenal kits after I was youthful. You dream of enjoying for giant golf equipment like this. When you’re a child, you see the likes of Arsenal, rising up, and the quantity of high quality gamers they’ve had all through the years and to be right here – and never solely to be right here however to be right here with shut pals – makes it much more particular.”

Konsa is speaking about Eberechi Eze, particularly; one other boyhood Arsenal fan, with whom he’s particularly tight. Everybody has seen the clip of Eze greeting Konsa on the coaching floor after the latter had accomplished his £51m move from Aston Villa and the way they crack up with laughter earlier than embracing. It is infectious. But Konsa is aware of a clutch of different Arsenal gamers from England responsibility – Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White – and he credit them with serving to him to settle in.

Konsa’s adaptation has been fast and it has wanted to be with William Saliba injured. After making his Arsenal debut as an alternative at Villa – Konsa’s scriptwriters have been exhausting at work – he has performed in each minute of the membership’s Premier League and Champions League matches. The victory at Forest, the place Arsenal had drawn 0-0 in every of the earlier two seasons, was vital. It was not a performance of any attacking pace or spark. Perhaps it made the factors really feel extra treasured.

“We hadn’t gained right here in two seasons, the boss was occurring about it,” Konsa says. “It’s one thing we wished to alter as gamers and these are the video games it’s important to win. If you need to win titles, it’s important to come away to powerful locations like this and get three factors.”

Things are about to get much more attention-grabbing for Konsa and Arsenal as a result of on Wednesday they face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena within the Champions League. “It’s towards my overseas teammate as effectively,” Konsa says, and he’s straight into an appreciation of Harry Kane, the England captain, who has been on hearth since becoming a member of Bayern from Tottenham in 2023. Kane’s scoring report for the membership bears repeating: 155 targets in 157 appearances.

Konsa has a superb report towards Kane, having confronted him seven instances, six of them for Villa towards Spurs. The seventh and most up-to-date got here in October 2024 when Konsa was within the Villa workforce that beat Kane’s Bayern 1-0 at Villa Park within the Champions League. It was Villa’s first dwelling match within the competitors for 41 years. Konsa has 4 wins towards Kane’s groups and three losses. Kane has solely scored twice towards him, each from penalties.

“The Villa-Bayern recreation … to beat them at dwelling and preserve a clear sheet … it was very particular for the gamers and the followers,” Konsa says. “I don’t actually look a lot at these form of stats [against individual players] however I’m relishing the problem.”

The dynamics towards Bayern seem completely different for Konsa this time. It was a well-known victory for Villa that evening, partly due to the tie’s historical past; the membership beat Bayern 1-0 within the 1982 European Cup ultimate. Villa had been underdogs as they felt their approach again into Europe’s elite competitors. Arsenal will kick off as Bayern’s equals and among the many favourites to win the match, having lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in final season’s ultimate.

Konsa gained the primary trophy of his profession per week earlier than that when he was within the Villa workforce that defeated Freiburg in the Europa League final. He says he has felt the dedication of the Arsenal squad to go one step additional in Europe.

“One hundred per cent,” Konsa says. “As gamers, the requirements we’ve got, the targets we’ve got … we need to win every little thing – the Champions League, the Prem. Whatever trophies are in entrance of us. When I got here to Arsenal, I wished to win. I used to be hungry to win. Last season I bought my palms on the Europa League and this season I would like extra.”