Riccardo Calafiori just got first glimpse of key issue Arsenal need him to fix during Liverpool defeat

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Arsenal fell to a 2-1 defeat in the final pre-season friendly of their USA tour as they were beaten by Liverpool.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho gave Liverpool the lead before Kai Havertz pulled one back, but Arsenal could not find an equaliser.

Arsenal struggled in the first half before dominating the second period, but whilst it was a marginal defeat in a friendly, some familiar issues were on display again.

Oleksandr Zinchenko had a mixed game at left-back, which was a common theme last season. Arsenal fans were frustrated as he was destroyed on the left side by Salah in the build-up to the opening goal, but performed a brilliant bit of skill to help launch the move which led to Havertz’s strike.

Riccardo Calafiori did not feature, with the new signing not yet ready to appear after arriving in the last few days, but he now knows what he needs to do to nail down a place at left-back.

Oleksandr Zinchenko issue arises again in Arsenal defeat to Liverpool

Zinchenko was beaten for pace by Salah, who then dribbled at speed before finishing off his chance, and this was a familiar repeat of a similar goal Arsenal conceded to Liverpool last season.

In Zinchenko’s defence, Liverpool did well to pick Arsenal apart in build-up, and it was a perfectly weighted ball which cut through Arsenal’s high line to find Salah, but it further highlighted the struggles the Ukrainian has faced in 1v1 defending.

Calafiori has been brought in to play left-back under Mikel Arteta, with the defender showing his prowess on the ball as well as his defensive strengths, for Bologna and Italy as a centre-back in a back three.

He will now see both the positives and negatives of Zinchenko’s performance, and aim to fix the issues Arsenal face in the position.

Riccardo Calafiori will need to bring balance to Arsenal left-back role

For all the qualities Zinchenko brings on the ball, his defensive vulnerabilities simply mean that he cannot be left isolated against speedy wingers such as Salah, who would target his side.

Calafiori’s arrival should see him bring a lot of quality going forward, and he will hope to play a similar role to Zinchenko in possession where he inverts into midfield, and can break the press with his dribbling ability like the former Man City star did before Havertz scored.

He will also aim to bring a similar level of defensive awareness that Ben White brings at right-back, and his aerial ability should also help cut out floated balls over the top to wingers.

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Calafiori was in the stands in Philadelphia for the friendly, but his work has already begun as he has seen first-hand why Arteta wanted a balanced solution at left-back.