Troy Deeney has praised Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa for a ‘man of the match’ display in their 1-0 win over Manchester City, saying the 28-year-old was ‘fantastic’ in halting Erling Haaland’s goalscoring run.
Matty Cash’s precise first-half finish from the edge of the box was enough for Unai Emery’s side to secure a hard-fought home victory on Sunday, as the West Midlands club bounced back following a shock midweek defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League.
Deeney was especially impressed by Konsa’s performance at Villa Park, praising the defender for ‘some really smart plays’ against Haaland, who left the field goalless after scoring in each of his previous nine matches.
Konsa limited Haaland to three shots and 17 touches of the ball on Sunday, while making three interceptions, six clearances, four recoveries and blocking two shots.
The 28-year-old defender also registered a 95% pass accuracy and won three of his seven aerial and ground duels, committing one foul.
Troy Deeney Lauds ‘Fantastic’ Ezri Konsa
Aston Villa's Ezri KonsaPhoto courtesy of Reuters.
Deeney, writing for the BBC, named Konsa in his Premier League team of the week and praised the England international for a ‘man of the match’ display:
“In my opinion he was man of the match, I thought he was excellent. Solid, some really smart plays.
“In the first half, he puts his leg back when Erling Haaland would be through on goal. In the second half, if he doesn't make the contact, Haaland is again through.
“Excellent defending, excellent in being a general. I thought he was fantastic.”
Konsa’s flawless display saw Villa secure their fourth Premier League win in a row and their first clean sheet in five games on Sunday.
The 28-year-old defender has featured in eight of Villa’s nine league games this term, making 11 appearances in all competitions so far.
Unai Emery’s side lost both games in which Konsa did not feature, including a 2-1 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles and a 1-0 loss to Brentford in August, from which the Englishman was suspended after picking up a red card.
Unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, Villa next visit struggling champions Liverpool on Saturday, who have lost their last four top-flight games.
Arne Slot’s side suffered a 3-2 defeat at Brentford on Saturday, which saw them drop to seventh in the league table, seven points below leaders Arsenal.