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Riccardo Calafiori has been a standout performer for Arsenal this season and the Italian has grown into a new role in Mikel Arteta's system. Injuries disrupted the start of his Gunners career but he has been a regular this term.
The 23-year-old has impressed as a free-roaming left-back, calling for possession more often than other Premier League full-backs. He's also had a knack of contributing going forward, registering one goal and two assists in eight league outings.
Arteta likes players who possess versatility and Calafiori clearly has won his manager over thanks to his adaption to his new role. But he's made clear that he is performing it well because it is his duty rather than enjoying the concept.
Calafiori on needing to perform Arteta's freedom based role
Calafiori played the full 90 minutes of the 1-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. He was effective for the visitors, winning three of five aerial duels and finding his man with one of two crosses as he looked to help break the deadlock until Leandro Trossard's 58th-minute winner.
The former Bologna man has displaced last season's shining star Myles Lewis-Skelly because of his understanding of Arteta's vision at left-back. He opened up on this (via The Daily Cannon):
“At the end, it’s what the team requires or what the coach asks me to do. It’s not something that I like to do; it’s something I need to do.”
Calafiori has shown he's capable of finding the back of the net with his left foot since arriving at the club in the summer of 2024. He was nearly on the scoresheet against Fulham and he's proving to be one of Arteta's key men this season.
Arteta has unbelievable left-back options
It's interesting watching the likes of Liverpool struggle with new left-back signing Milos Kerkez and Manchester United rotate Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot out on the left to try and find a solution. Back at the Emirates, Arteta has two of the best left-backs in the country at his disposal.
Calafiori and Lewis-Skelly offer two different profiles which make them a dream to be able to choose between. Arteta knows depending on the opposition how either of them can be more effective and he went with the more possession based Calafiori for Fulham.
We speak so much about the strength in depth in central defence but there isn't a better pool of left-back options in the league. Adding summer signing Piero Hincapié to that list has only further cemented that claim.