Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta was impressed again by what he witnessed from Italy international Riccardo Calafiori during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night: “For that reason, we signed him.”
Calafiori played the entire ninety minutes as the North Londoners defeated Gianluigi Donnarumma’s PSG 2-0 at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
Calafiori survived a brief injury scare to secure a spot in the Arsenal starting lineup.
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Once more, he started at left defense in a flat back four with William Saliba and Gabriel, the normal center backs, beginning up front.
In addition to finishing five of his five attempted tackles and 52 ball touches, Calafiori also completed five passes into the final third of the game.
The Italy international got an average grade of 7.5 from the British press for his efforts, reports Football Italia.
Arteta gave a reason for his high satisfaction with the Italian’s performance, saying, “We signed him because he can occupy multiple places and he’s incredibly comfortable with that. He has previously done that in Italy.
“He is a fantastic defender first and foremost. He is incredibly bold and exudes presence, intensity, and full devotion in everything he does.
In certain circumstances, he doesn’t give a damn; he just wants the ball, wants to use it to accomplish goals, and is content to play a variety of positions.
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