Ezri Konsa sends Arsenal message after brilliant Chelsea derby debut

Ezri Konsa has hailed Arsenal's character and mentality after helping Mikel Arteta's side secure a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on his first home start for the club.

The summer signing was handed a starting role following Cristhian Mosquera's injury and produced an assured performance alongside Gabriel as Arsenal recovered from conceding inside the opening two minutes.

Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea the perfect start, but Kai Havertz equalised before Martin Ødegaard completed the comeback after half-time.

For Konsa, it proved to be a memorable introduction to the Emirates Stadium.

Having arrived from Aston Villa during the summer, Konsa was experiencing his first London derby as an Arsenal player.

The defender believes the home support played an important role after Chelsea's early goal threatened to disrupt Arteta's side.

"I really enjoyed the occasion. My first London derby and I thought the fans were fantastic, superb," Konsa said.

"They stayed behind us throughout the whole game; without them, these games are impossible.

"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."

Arsenal's response was particularly significant given their defensive standards. Rather than allowing the early setback to dictate the contest, the Gunners recovered and eventually took control.

Konsa also impressed individually during a demanding battle against Chelsea's attack.

He contested 12 duels, winning eight, and produced one particularly memorable sliding challenge to stop former Aston Villa teammate Rogers during a Chelsea counter-attack.

The England defender admitted those confrontations are precisely what he enjoys.

"I love duels," Konsa explained. "As a defender, I think these are things you have to cherish. For me personally, I love a challenge. I love being in duels.

"I had a few today and I'm glad I came out on top."

His friendship with Rogers disappeared once the match started.

"He's a good friend of mine, but on the pitch, it's a different story," Konsa added.

"I saw the opportunity to go in and make the tackle, and it came off."

Konsa's performance was even more impressive considering how little time he has had to adjust to Arteta's system.

Mosquera's muscular problem against Aston Villa accelerated the newcomer's introduction, but Arteta believes his defender handled the responsibility exceptionally well.

"What Ezri has done – he's played 11 minutes; he had five or six training sessions and the way he played man-to-man against an opponent like Joao Pedro – I thought he was phenomenal," Arteta said.

Konsa himself believes Arsenal's tactical approach suits his qualities.

"I felt right at home from day one," he said.

"The boys have been top, the staff have been top. 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."

That comfort was evident against Chelsea. With Mosquera's fitness uncertain, Konsa has quickly demonstrated that Arteta has another dependable option available in the heart of his defence.

Konsa could now be given an extended opportunity in Arsenal's starting XI depending on the severity of Mosquera's muscular injury.

His immediate adaptation gives Arteta greater flexibility at centre-back, and another strong performance could make the selection decision considerably more difficult once Mosquera is available again.

For Arsenal, attention now turns to maintaining their winning start, while Konsa will be aiming to turn an impressive home debut into a sustained run in the team.