DUSSELDORF, GERMANY - JULY 6: Ezri Konsa of England gestures during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between England and Switzerland at Düsseldorf Arena on July 6, 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
While England is getting ready for its Wednesday night matchup against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final, Gareth Southgate might be about to make a major error.
Following a run of lacklustre games, England has advanced to the Euro 2024 semi-final.
Despite their lack of success throughout the competition, Gareth Southgate’s team is only one win away from the Berlin final.
Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, two Aston Villa players, will be on display for the Three Lions during their match on Wednesday night in an attempt to get more playing time.
READ MORE: As the Aston Villa star approaches the semi-finals, Ezri Konsa talks about his “dream” of competing in Euro 2024.
Ahead of England’s Euro 2024 semi-final, Gareth Southgate might be set to make the incorrect decision on Ezri Konsa.
Southgate gave Konsa his first tournament start in the quarterfinal, as the Villa defender took Marc Guehi’s place.
The Crystal Palace player, who served a suspension for the pivotal match against Switzerland, will now be available for selection ahead of the match on Wednesday night.
READ MORE: Ian Wright acknowledges that he is proud of what Ezri Konsa recently “did” for his nation
Regretfully, it appears that Konsa will return to the bench to make room for the center-back, according to The Telegraph’s interpretation.
Even if the Villa star performed flawlessly in England’s match against Switzerland, Guehi’s excellence throughout the competition cannot be overlooked; yet, Southgate might be ready to make a mistake.
Marc Guehi might not be the best choice for Konsa’s challenge in the Netherlands.
Guehi has excelled in the defence throughout the Euros thus far and has demonstrated his excellent form at Palace over the years.
Having said that, Konsa’s skill set is occasionally disregarded because Unai Emery’s star can fill every defensive position.
The England international made an appearance at right-back for Villa last season, displaying his defensive prowess on the flank—a talent that he can use to play in a back three.
The 26-year-old, who excels in 1v1 defending, was ranked in the top 3% of Premier League defenders by FBref due to his impressive average of dribblers tackled per 90 (85.2%).
Guehi is as powerful when called upon, but Konsa would be a better choice considering the source of the threat posed by the Netherlands.
READ MORE: Two crucial statistics highlight why Marc Guehi can’t take Ezri Konsa’s spot going forward in England’s semi-final.
In contrast, the centre defender at Palace last season tackled 58.3% of the dribblers he encountered, indicating a situation in which Konsa might support Southgate’s strategy of blocking the Dutch assault.
Cody Gakpo, who is playing brilliantly on the left flank of attack, has contributed four of the nine goals Ronald Koeman’s team has scored in the competition—four more than England.
It could be wise for Southgate to start the Villa star ahead of Guehi given Konsa’s attention to detail in 1v1, but it appears like he has made up his decision.
With the Three Lions only one game away from another European final, hopefully the manager’s choice benefits the Villa duo playing for England.
At Aston Villa, Unai Emery may sign a “special” Jhon Duran upgrade to partner with Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa may decide to reenter the market in an attempt to find a Jhon Duran replacement, and one prospect in particular stands out for his calibre.
At Aston Villa this summer, Unai Emery and Monchi have already managed eight market changes.
At Bodymoor Heath, there have been three departures and five arrivals, and there will likely be a lot more activity before the deadline.
The most recent storyline involving the team concerns Jhon Duran’s future, since it appears he will be leaving Villa before the 2024–2025 season.
READ MORE: Aston Villa may sign three strikers to replace Jhon Duran, one of whom is rumoured to make a spectacular comeback to Villa Park.
Joao Felix might take Jhon Duran’s spot at Aston Villa.
It was revealed on Tuesday that West Ham had made a bid for Duran, whose future at Villa is up in the air.
The 20-year-old has made it clear that he wants to leave Villa after witnessing himself go from hero to zero in recent weeks.
The Colombian’s attention was initially piqued by Chelsea, but it appears that West Ham is now interested in signing him for a reported fee of about £35 million.
READ MORE: Jhon Duran is called “disrespectful” for what he did off the pitch that was “out of order.”
Although it’s not shocking, there has been some speculation tying Duran to a move away from Villa, and this comes at an intriguing moment given the target the Midlands club is reportedly targeting.
According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa has made progress towards signing 24-year-old Joao Felix, who is seeking a new opportunity away from Atletico Madrid.
Getting hold of the adaptable forward might give Emery an immediate replacement for Duran, considering how highly regarded the Portugal international is and how much he has to offer at such a young age in his career.
Consider Felix and Watkins, Ollie
Alvaro Morata used to call Felix “unique,” praising him for his ability to work as an attack force with the Portuguese jewel at Atletico.
The former Chelsea loanee’s offensive versatility makes him a potential Emery target at Villa, especially given how well he could work alongside Ollie Watkins.
During the 2023–24 season, the Villa manager gave the Watkins and Duran combination relatively little practice. The only instance of this was during the first half of the team’s March 2023 matchup against West Ham.
