Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori started for Italy against Israel in the Nations League.
The Azzurri picked up a convincing 4-1 win on Monday night and remain unbeaten in the competition so far. They are on top of the table ahead of France and Belgium.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s brace and goals from Mateo Retegui and Davide Frattesi sealed a convincing victory for the Italians, but another player impressed as well – Calafiori.
The Arsenal man has received a lot of praise from his country’s press for his performance against Israel on Monday night.
Italy’s media deliver verdict on Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori’s performance vs Italy
Calafiori started on the left side of a back-three for Italy against Israel.
The 22-year-old mostly plays as a left-back for Arsenal, but he is naturally a central defender. He played a bit of a hybrid role on Monday night, which is similar to the job he does for Mikel Arteta.
Calafiori kept occupying a central midfield position when Italy were in possession. He was brilliant in taking up free space and made it extremely difficult for Israel to mark him.
The Arsenal star also came close to scoring in the second half, but he was denied.
However, it was a solid display from Calafiori, and his country’s media seem to be very impressed with his performance.
TMW gave him a 6.5/10 rating and wrote: “The uniqueness with which he plays that role makes him an irreplaceable footballer. It would be an understatement to speak of Calafiori only as a defender: he manages the ball with personality, he makes his way on the empty spaces. Never banal in his plays.”
Eurosport also rated him 6.5/10 and said: “Total player, even when he misses something more than usual on a technical level. Deployed in the three defence, he is often found by play added in the opposing midfield and is in the heart of any dangerous action of the national team. Crystalline talent.”
Sky Sports Italia gave him a 6.5/10 rating too and wrote: “He is found more in the middle of the field than on the defence line. He does not lack self-esteem and this pushes him to try everything: openings, throws, triangles, percussion.”
Riccardo Calafiori is a huge upgrade on one Arsenal star
Arsenal began competing for the Premier League title in the 2022/23 season.
Nobody really expected them to be in the mix that campaign, but some of Arteta’s signings helped take the Gunners to the next level. One of them is Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Ukrainian’s leadership made a big difference, but his ability to invert on the pitch made Arsenal a much more unpredictable side to face.
However, Zinchenko often made mistakes defensively, which is why Arsenal went into the market and signed a player who can do what he does in possession while also being solid at the back – Calafiori.
The Italian has had a great start to his life at Arsenal, and he has already proved that he is an upgrade over Zinchenko at left-back.
What’s great for Arsenal is that he will become even better in the coming years.
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