Alan Shearer has made two calls that cut against the usual early-season narratives. His Premier League player of the season so far is not a forward but an Arsenal centre-back, Ezri Konsa. And the club he expects to push Arsenal hardest is not Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester City, but Brighton.
Konsa over the attackers
“I think the player of the season up to now has been Ezri Konsa,” Shearer told Betfair, in comments reported by Football365.
His reasoning is about what has not been discussed. Konsa arrived from Aston Villa in the summer, initially as cover with William Saliba injured, and has formed a partnership with Gabriel. “I just think when you look at the performances of Arsenal defensively, and look at his performances defensively, we haven’t even really mentioned them missing William Saliba,” Shearer said.
“The only time we’ve mentioned him is in the last two weeks and that’s because everyone is thinking how is he going to get back in because Konsa has been that good.”
That is a strong statement from a former striker who usually judges the game through goals. It is also a vote for a type of influence that rarely wins awards: a defender whose excellence shows up as the absence of a problem.
Ferdinand got there first
Shearer is not alone. Rio Ferdinand made a similar case earlier this week, arguing that Mikel Arteta now has a selection headache because Konsa “looks like he’s been there for ten years”, as we covered in Ferdinand says Arteta has a “huge problem” when Saliba is fit. Ferdinand’s twist was that Konsa might end up at right-back when Saliba returns. Shearer goes further, ranking Konsa above every attacking player in the league so far.
The counter-argument is obvious: player-of-the-season talk in November is premature, and centre-backs tend to look best in teams that defend well collectively. Arsenal’s solidity is not Konsa’s alone. But the fact that Saliba’s absence has barely registered is the clearest evidence for Shearer’s point.
Brighton as Arsenal’s main rivals
Shearer’s second call is bolder. “Brighton could be Arsenal’s main challenge to the title this season,” he said. “I think Liverpool are in transition. Chelsea, same thing. They still have plenty of work to do with those football clubs.”
He was enthusiastic about Brighton’s football, while flagging the obvious risk. “Brighton have been incredible. The football that they’re playing, I mean, in Europe too, whether that will hinder them the longer the season goes on I don’t know, but they’re managing really well at the minute.”
His conclusion: “I don’t think they’re going to go away. I think they’ll be around for the majority of the season.”
Why the Brighton call is a risk
Shearer himself identified the main objection. Brighton are juggling European football with the league, and the squads that sustain a title challenge into spring usually have more depth than a club of Brighton’s resources. Clubs that start fast and play attractive football have faded before once the fixtures pile up in winter.
Liverpool and Chelsea, meanwhile, may be “in transition”, but both have the spending power to correct course quickly, including in January. And Manchester City are notably absent from Shearer’s shortlist of challengers altogether.
Still, his reading fits a wider mood among pundits that Arsenal’s biggest obstacle this season may be themselves. Ashley Williams had already described the title race as a one-horse race after Arsenal’s win at Anfield, as we covered in Ashley Williams on the title race. Shearer is a little more cautious: one horse is clear, but the one he sees chasing it is wearing blue and white stripes from the south coast.
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