Sergio Giuntoli, the manager of Juventus, recently said that the Italian League lost a great player when Riccardo Calafiori chose to leave Serie A for Arsenal in the Premier League instead of staying with Juventus. Some people must have thought he was boasting, but after seeing how well Italy played against Leicester, can you argue with that?
Calafiori started for Arsenal for the first time last weekend in the famous 2-2 draw with Manchester City. He played and scored in the game. That Arteta was willing to risk him by playing him in a big game like the one against City should have shown how much he cares about him. He did a great job of repaying that trust with a goal.
The Italian defender started at left back again this weekend when Leicester came to the Emirates Stadium, hoping to build on his good start. As Arteta had faith in Ricci, he did a great job of making the left side play its best. Even though he was playing left back, the Italian controlled Arsenal’s left wing by keeping the ball at LCM or sometimes overlapping Gabriel Martinelli.
Even though it looked like he was playing on his own, the Arsenal defence was fine. Arteta has a tight system, but Calafiori is a skilled and technically sound player who can really make things go off at any point in the game.
Stats for Riccardo Calafiori vs. Leicester
1 space out
1 shot blocked
Third downs
61 out of 69 passes (88%).
Two keys work
3/4 long balls
Dec. 19 duels
1x fouled
3 shots hit the mark
2/3 attempts to dribble
As time goes on, the 22-year-old is slowly becoming Arsenal’s left back. If there is anyone who is sure to start against PSG on October 1, it will be this player.
When you watch Calafiori play, you can’t help but wonder if he’s a new player. The reason Arsenal won the league last year was because of him. The way he inverts or overlaps the ball and how well he controls it are definitely good for Arsenal’s league title hopes.
