I Felt Right at Home From Day One at Arsenal Says, Ezri Konsa

Ezri Konsa says he “felt right at home from day one” after making an impressive Emirates Stadium debut for Arsenal in their 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

The English defender, who joined Arsenal from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window, impressed at the heart of the defence as he formed a solid partnership with Gabriel.

Konsa contested 12 duels and won eight, recording his best figures in a Premier League match since December 2024.

The 28-year-old also produced a key moment during the game when he dispossessed Morgan Rogers as Chelsea attempted to launch a counter-attack, drawing a loud reaction from the Emirates crowd.

Rogers, a former Aston Villa teammate and close friend of Konsa, found himself on the receiving end of the challenge, but the Arsenal defender insisted their friendship did not matter once the match got underway.

Konsa said he “felt right at home from day one” as he settled quickly into his new surroundings and helped Arsenal secure an important comeback win.

“[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.

Reflecting on his debut, Konsa said he enjoyed the occasion, particularly his first London derby.

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“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 had fallen behind to an early Morgan Rogers goal before recovering through Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.

Konsa said the response after conceding demonstrated the character of the team.

“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.”

The 28-year-old said he had quickly adapted to life at Arsenal after joining the club only a couple of 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, however, said Arsenal must maintain their focus 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.”

Konsa debuted last week against old club Aston Villa at the Villa Park playing 11 minutes in Arsenal’s 1-0 win.