England defender Ezri Konsa has revealed the national team is taking direct inspiration from Arsenal's formidable set-piece approach as they prepare for next year's World Cup.
The Aston Villa centre-back, who has become a trusted figure in Thomas Tuchel's squad, explained how the Premier League's increasing focus on dead-ball situations is now influencing England's tactics ahead of the global tournament.
Premier League Evolution Driving International Change
Konsa pointed to Arsenal's transformation under Mikel Arteta as particularly influential, with the Gunners establishing themselves as the division's most feared set-piece team.
"You look at Arsenal and see how many goals they have scored and how many points they've won from it," Konsa stated. "It does play a big part and it's a big part in the game."
The 28-year-old defender highlighted how the entire Premier League landscape has shifted, with teams like Brentford demonstrating the effectiveness of long throw-ins and other set-piece variations that are becoming increasingly difficult to defend against.
"This season you've seen a lot more long throw-ins, Brentford being one team that do it really well and it is difficult to defend," Konsa explained. "I think now there's a lot more physicality and you do have to be strong, you do have to have physicality in the team because if not you are going to struggle."
From Villa Training to England Success
Konsa's own set-piece development has been significantly shaped by his work with Aston Villa's specialist coach Austin MacPhee, with their collaboration directly contributing to his first international goal.
The defender scored in England's 5-0 victory against Serbia in September, a moment he attributes to the mentality instilled by his club coach.
"That set piece in Serbia, obviously we did it for England. But in my head, because I'd been with Austin for so many seasons now, it's something he's instilled into my head," Konsa revealed.
"Our set piece coach at Aston Villa always says when we're attacking corners and free-kicks to think like a striker. In that situation, I wanted to think like a striker. Just run into the box."
He described the goal itself: "Hopefully there was a rebound. It just fell to me and I smashed it in with my left foot. I don't even think I needed to smash it in!"
International Implementation Challenges
Despite recognizing the importance of set-pieces, Konsa acknowledged the practical difficulties of implementing complex routines at international level compared to club football.
"When you come with England, you haven't really got much time to train because sometimes you come off the back end of two days before," he explained. "The games are coming quick in succession. We try and work on it as much as we can. But it's a big point here, definitely."
The defender also expressed appreciation for the trust shown by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has made Konsa a mainstay in his defensive plans.
"As a player, to have a manager that shows trust and believes in you is always a special feeling and gives you so much confidence coming here going into games," Konsa said. "I do owe him a lot for playing me in all those games."
He added: "It was a dream since I was a kid to represent my country and to have played as many games under him as I have is a special feeling so I can only thank him for what he has done."
With the World Cup approaching, England's adoption of Premier League set-piece innovations, particularly those pioneered by Arsenal, could prove crucial in their pursuit of international success.
