Tuchel needs to start Aston Villa CB Ezri Konsa | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel's first match in charge was always going to draw attention. Aston Villa has plenty of representatives for the England side. One player, in particular, should be receiving more notoriety for his efforts. Against Albania and Latvia, AVFC fans will hope to see a certain center-back as one of the pairings in front of Jordan Pickford.

The new man in charge of the Three Lions appears to be on good initial terms with supporters. More importantly, the German has mentioned the need to further earn his current role. England expects to comfortably make the 2026 World Cup and progress well into the knockout stages of the tournament. While politics or preconceived notions of players can often play a role in allocating minutes, that doesn't look likely under Tuchel, at least for now.

Ezri Konsa has a strong case to be in the starting XI and realistically is most deserving. Shortly before the match, for example, Betano UK shared a post on X of players with the high ground win rate in the Premier League. To the shock of zero Aston Villa supporters, the 27-year-old was at the top of the list with an impressive 76.6% success ratio in this category. Countryman Myles Lewis-Skelly for Arsenal wasn't too far behind at 75.0%, but all but one other EPL player couldn't even break the 70s at this point in the year.

Stats, however, can't tell the whole story. They can only serve as an indicator or point of reference. That is to say, this alone wouldn't be enough to warrant a starting CB position. Tuchel will want someone who is technically sound and gets possession back. Maybe more importantly, though, the manager will want someone he can rely on.

Why the Aston Villa CB is the ideal fit

At key times in the past, England teams have crumbled from the weight of expectations, making shocking mistakes within the 90 or otherwise to prevent further advancement or the desired results. Unai Emery can testify that with Konsa in the backline, that isn't a point of concern.

The CB not only wins his one-on-ones but also keeps his composure. He, furthermore, does an excellent job of picking his moments to spearhead the attack. Having a steady presence for Tuchel's first game in charge is exactly what the new boss will be looking for. The Aston Villa defender has earned the right to get the call-up and anchor the defensive unit of the Three Lions.