BBC Sport profiled Ezri Konsa's start at Arsenal after William Saliba's long-term back issue kept him out of the opening eight league games. Arsenal confirmed in July that Saliba would miss an "extended period", and he still had not featured eight matches into the league season.
Saliba remains out
Mikel Arteta's side had conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League and were level on points at the summit. Saliba still had no date for a return and was doing individual training work on grass.
Arteta said: "William is not fit and we are desperate to have him back because we know what he offers. We are really lucky to have that and I'm sure when Mosquera plays that he will be the same because they have something special those boys. The way we train them, the way they want to improve as well and how they look after each other. That's the beauty of our team."
Konsa's start at Arsenal
Arsenal signed the 29-year-old Konsa for £55m from Aston Villa in August, and Konsa signed on the opening day of the season. After joining just hours before Arsenal's season-opener against Coventry, Konsa started six of Arsenal's first eight league matches.
Konsa came on for his Arsenal debut in the second match against Aston Villa after Cristhian Mosquera picked up an injury. Arteta said Konsa had settled in "unbelievable" and added: "He's gone to a huge club like Arsenal with no pre-season when Saliba is here, with other players that are already here. To position yourself in that manner, with that naturality I would say, and performing at the level that he's doing and building already a chemistry and a balance with Gabi that seems so solid, it's very difficult to do and we are really lucky to have him."
Clean sheets and a first goal
Arsenal had kept a clean sheet in five of their eight games, with no team keeping more in the Premier League this season. Konsa scored his first goal for Arsenal against Everton on Saturday, and Konsa and Gabriel both scored as Arsenal beat Everton.
It was the first time Arsenal had two centre-backs score in a Premier League match since February 2024. Konsa had started all three of Arsenal's Champions League games alongside Gabriel, and Arsenal were unbeaten in those matches.
What Konsa and Keown said
Konsa said: "I've come to this stadium for many seasons, I know how tough it is to play against us. It's not surprising to me. We are champions and to be champions you've got to win games consistently. This is our home and we want to win as many games here as possible."
Konsa said Gabriel had made "my life easy since I've joined the club and it's been a pleasure playing alongside him". Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said: "The two of them were on the Ballon D'or list as the best defenders in world football. He has not been overshadowed at all by the people he has played alongside."