Ezri Konsa vs William Saliba: Who Should Partner Gabriel in Arsenal’s Defence?

William Saliba pulling up with a back injury at the World Cup will have inflicted painful memories upon Arsenal fans. The Frenchman suffered a similar issue in March 2023. His absence ultimately cost the Gunners the Premier League title.

Arsenal were flying in the league up until Saliba’s absence. In his place came Rob Holding. The difference in quality was stark. The north London side finished five points off Manchester City in the 2022/23 season.

In the time since, Arsenal have strengthened at the back. Cristhian Mosquera joined from Valencia last summer and slotted in well when called upon, be it at centre-back or at right-back. However, when Saliba was withdrawn in France’s 2-0 World Cup defeat to Spain back in July, supporters again feared the worst.

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It prompted Arsenal into action. They spent their time chipping away at Aston Villa but eventually secured the services of Ezri Konsa. The England star has slotted in seamlessly at the Emirates Stadium. Indeed, Arsenal have conceded just five goals in his seven league starts, while Arteta has overseen a run of three successive clean sheets at the expense of Nottingham Forest, Everton and Liverpool.

The latter performance was one that really stood out. Arsenal ended their Anfield hoodoo over the weekend as Kai Havertz’s first-half strike proved to be the difference between the two teams. Konsa and centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes stood firm to deny Liverpool a shot on target, a first at Anfield in the Premier League since records began in 2003.

Yet Arteta has a selection conundrum looming on the horizon. Saliba is back in training following his recovery from a back issue. The welcome of Hull City prior to the international break perhaps comes too soon for Saliba. It won’t be long, though, before the 25-year-old is ready for a first-team return.

So, the issue now is whether Arteta continues with Konsa as Gabriel’s long-term partner or brings Saliba back into the fold.

And we asked our followers on X that same question, and 67.8% of voters said they’d rather see Saliba partner Gabriel at the heart of the defence over Konsa.

That’s not to say Konsa has underperformed. On the contrary, he’s taken to a change in scenery like a duck to water. Only Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven (95.98%) boasts a better pass accuracy than the former Villa man (95.17%) in the Premier League this season.

It’s par for course for Konsa, who has always been renowned for his distribution. And the ease with which Konsa picks out a teammate allows Arsenal to build attacks from the back, thus abiding by Arteta’s demands.

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The issue, though, is that Arsenal have an established centre-back partnership in Saliba and Gabriel. It’s one of the best pairings in the Premier League. That’s not to say that Konsa will be immediately relegated to the bench.

Competition for starting spots for this Arsenal side is imperative and defence is no exception. And able to operate at both centre-back and right-back, Konsa’s versatility is vital. It’s no secret that Arteta wants his full-backs to be able to play at centre-back. Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori are all to operate in multiple defensive roles, just as Konsa is.

The summer signing operated at right-back more than once at the 2026 World Cup, and his defensive adaptability could well see Arsenal line up with Konsa, Saliba and Gabriel when domestic duties resume later this month.

Konsa clearly doesn’t deserve to be dropped from the starting XI, and given White and Timber’s respective fitness concerns, he’d be a more dependable option on the right side of the defence. It’s a way to get the trio into the starting XI while keeping three key defenders happy without disrupting the style of play.

And in Arteta’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup, a defensive quartet of Konsa, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori would be one of the most watertight in the league. Arsenal boast the best defensive record in England’s top tier this term having shipped just five goals. That record is unlikely to creep much higher as Saliba gears up to return to action.