Arsenal fans were treated to a stellar first half of football against Paris Saint-German in the Champions League at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side welcomed PSG to North London in only the second match day of the 2024/25 Champions League campaign.
The Gunners hadn’t met the Parisians in the competition since the 2016/17 season, where the two clubs battled each other in the group stage.
That season, Arsene Wenger’s squad were unable to be separated from Unai Emery’s XI, with a 1-1 draw and 2-2 draw recorded during their two group meetings.
Now ruled by Luis Enrique, PSG returned to North London with the hope to get the better of Arteta’s side, who showed great maturity in front of their home crowd.
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka found themselves on the scoresheet in the opening 45 minutes however, it wasn’t only the goalscorers who generated attention on social media.
Arsenal fans rave about Riccardo Calafiori’s performance against PSG.
As Ben White missed out due to a groin injury, Arteta selected the same back four that featured against Leicester City, seeing Jurrien Timber take the right side and Riccardo Calafiori take the left.
The Italian had to wait for his chance to get into the starting XI following his summer arrival from Bologna however, the tides have certainly changed over the past few weeks.
Against PSG, Calafiori was applauded on X by Arsenal fans, who took note of the 22-year-old’s movement and ability to switch between defence and attack.
“The positions Calafiori gets into when attacking are exceptional,” one supporter said when watching the fullback in action.
Another Arsenal fan accused the Italy international of doing ‘unheard of’ things in the opening 45 minutes against the Parisians.
“Riccardo Calafiori is a very special footballer. The positions he takes are unheard of.”
Many were left impressed by the summer signing’s versatility on the flank, with his strength in a variety of roles being something that was impossible to ignore.
“I am in love with how Calafiori plays LB/CB//DM/8/10 all at the same time,” one supporter said, to which another agreed by handing the Italian the label of a ‘playmaker’.
“Calafiori is fully embracing the roaming playmaker role tonight! Keeps turning up in the right 8 spot.”
Attention quickly drifted from the defender’s positioning to what his form means for others in the squad, with a warning sent to White by supporters.
One fan said, “Calafiori is a beast. Ben White has some serious competition to come back to from injury.”
“With Calafiori and Timber in good form, I don’t see space for Ben White,” another supporter admitted, with fans not ready to see Calafiori make way for the Englishman any time soon.
“With this Timber and Calafiori display, Ben White may need to come to match days with a blanket but Zinchenko should forget it, no need to leave his house.”
Calafiori will give Mikel Arteta a selection headache
Given what supporters have seen from Calafiori so far, many should not be shocked at the defender’s performance level on show against PSG.
The fullback is clearly the perfect fit for Arteta’s project, with it already made abundantly clear why the Spaniard was desperate to capture his signature in the summer.
After the woes that came from Arsenal’s left side of defence last season, it could be said that Calafiori resembles the missing piece in the back line, with the same able to be said about Timber.
The pair have breathed an extra bit of life into the defence, with Calafiori certainly one to watch this term.
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