Ezri Konsa reveals why England boss Thomas Tuchel laughed at him in first meeting this season

Ezri Konsa is the first to admit it has been a tough start to the season. Aston Villa defender Konsa was sent off in his first game in front of England boss Thomas Tuchel who ended up laughing at him in the tunnel.

Konsa, 27, has also seen his team pick up just one point from their opening three games of the season and they have not managed to score a single goal. The glory days of last season when Villa Park were back among Europe’s elite in the Champions League for the first time in 41 years suddenly seem like a long time ago.

Unai Emery appears to be paying a heavy price for guiding the club back into Europe as they have had to sell players left, right and centre to balance the books to comply with spending rules in the Premier League and UEFA’s tough squad cost ratios.

Konsa joined Villa seven years ago, they only just stayed up in his first season at the club and so he has seen the best and the toughest of times. And that allows him to reflect upon his sending-off in the opening weekend for pulling back Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon with a wry smile.

"I think everyone knows it’s been a tough start,” laughed Konsa who recalls how he came face-to-face with Tuchel after his red card. "Yes he was there. I didn’t want to see him but he was outside the door. He was laughing at me. Not much to say about that!

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"I got red-carded but he was very helpful, very understanding. It was a boring game anyway! He didn’t think anything of it. I was actually sat next to him at the Brentford game when I was suspended so we managed to speak then.

"There was no small talk during the game, he was just focused. We only spoke at half-time. When we were watching the game he didn’t say one word."

There was probably not much to say as Villa drew that opening game with Newcastle, lost at Brentford and then got thumped at home by Crystal Palace when Konsa returned to the starting line-up.

It would be fair to say that the season has not gone to plan for Konsa or Villa. Last season’s highs have been followed by lows.

“I think it’s part of football,” said Konsa. “We’re only 3 games in. Look, we’ve done some recruitment on deadline day so hopefully the boys that have come in can really help us. Yeah, look, it’s been a tough start, we all know that but hopefully we can bounce back.

“I think it’s one of those ones – part of football. Even the top teams have a bad spell. Look, we’ve got a great manager, we’ve got a great squad. I know we’ll bounce back.

"When you’ve had two very good seasons, you obviously want to continue that and look, we want to stay up there. We want to stay in the top six, top five and the aim for everyone that up there … we want to play Champions League football. That’s what we’re going to try to do.

"I’ve been at Villa for seven years, I’ve been there at its worst times so I know how bad it can be. But look, we’re not there yet. It’s three games in. We’ve got another tough two games when we go back so all focus will be on that after this international break is done."

And the bitterness of the end of last season - when Villa were wrongly denied an opening goal at Manchester United by a VAR gaffe - when they just missed out on a Champions League place.

Does it still irk him? Konsa said: “A million percent, of course. We knew going into that game what we needed to do. Obviously, the red card killed us in the first half.

“It made the game really difficult and I think everyone knows the decision that was made in the second half with Morgan Rogers’ goal really did affect us as well.

“Going into that game, the end result wasn't the best feeling. But we're going to try and bounce back and try and get back into the Champions League this season.”

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