%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal visit Aston Villa on Monday night in the Premier League, looking to keep their 100% record in the 2026/27 season alive.
The Gunners have gotten off to an excellent start, beating Manchester City comfortably in the Community Shield before easing past Coventry City at the Emirates last Friday. They continue the defence of their crown at Villa Park on Monday, in what could be a feisty occasion for a number of reasons.
Most pertinently, Ezri Konsa could make his Arsenal debut at his former stomping ground. The England defender recently departed the West Midlands club for North London in a £50 million deal, and he's already been the subject of vitriol online from his previous followers.
Villa fans aren't happy that the man who played such an important role in their Europa League triumph last season pushed to leave for the Premier League champions. He's likely to receive a hostile reception if he is granted his first outing in a red and white shirt, and this will only add to the overall tension around the fixture.
With that said, here are three reasons why Konsa shouldn't be named in Mikel Arteta's starting eleven for the visit to Birmingham.
Konsa starting will rev up the Villa Park crowd
As alluded to in the intro, there is growing animosity from Villa supporters towards Konsa. Many feel him deciding to part ways with the club at such a vulnerable time in their recent history was something of a betrayal, given how much support they showed him during his early days in the Midlands.
The Gunners are meeting Villa at the perfect time. Unai Emery's side lost 4-0 to Brighton in their opening Premier League game and are arguably in disarray off the field as well. Key players have left, and this has contributed to a dejected atmosphere surfacing around the club.
Thus, if Arsenal play their cards right, they should comfortably emerge with all three points. The only way they might have a problem is if the home crowd's hostility overcomes them and they get flustered.
Konsa starting will give Villa fans a reason to be riled up from the outset, so Arsenal would be jeopardising themselves by starting him. Arteta has to give the home crowd no reason to be bouyant, and should instead look to negate their influence by quietening them early - Konsa's inclusion would do the opposite.
Konsa shouldn't be subjected to this atmosphere
Alexander Isak started for Liverpool away at St. James' Park last weekend and produced an ineffective performance for his team. While the level of acrimony from Villa supporters toward Konsa probably pales in comparison to the heat Isak got from Newcastle fans, it's still likely to be an unpleasant experience for the 28-year-old.
He may be an exorbitantly paid footballer, but he's also a human being. Being exposed to that venomous atmosphere could be damaging if something goes wrong for him. It's also much more likely that something does go wrong for him whilst playing in that environment, which is obviously bad for Arsenal. As much as footballers have extraordinary mentalities on the whole, they are still susceptible to taunts and abuse.
If Konsa performs below his usual level in his debut in this atmosphere, making a mistake that leads to a goal or something along those lines, it sets the wrong tone for him at the beginning of his Arsenal career, and could damage him psychologically heading into clashes against Chelsea and Napoli.
Cristhian Mosqura deserves to start
Konsa himself isn't the only reason he shouldn't start. Cristhian Mosquera, who has performed excellently across the last two matches, has merited a starting berth for this huge encounter.
He's done nothing to lose his place, and while Konsa is likely to come in for him at some point soon, it doesn't need to be right away because Mosquera is playing well at the moment. Arteta should show some trust in his 22-year-old defender. It's not like the Gunners are set to play a side blessed with frightening offensive talent.
With Nicolas Jackson only just signing, Villa are likely to start Emi Buendia as a false nine once again. Mosquera can certainly deal with the Argentine.
Add us as a preferred source on Google