Arsenal struck gold when they signed defender Riccardo Calafiori in the summer, and the Italian has settled in instantly.
Calafiori scored an outstanding goal against Manchester City on his full Arsenal debut, and he has continued to impress as he has landed a starting role in the absence of Ben White, with Jurrien Timber moving to right-back.
The former Bologna defender excels on the ball and has driven forward into attacking areas superbly, whilst also bringing defensive intelligence and supreme physicality.
Calafiori has helped fix Arsenal’s left side within just two games, and it is easy to see why Mikel Arteta brought him in.
Riccardo Calafiori has helped Gabriel Martinelli revival
Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli found himself struggling for confidence, after he went 18 games without a goal or assist, with his last contribution coming against Sheffield United in March.
Many claimed that Arsenal’s left-side had hindered Martinelli. Granit Xhaka’s departure, as well as the inconsistency at left-back, meant that the winger would struggle to find openings for chances.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu all played at left-back, and none helped get the best out of Martinelli as they all performed different roles with no consistent starts.
However, after just two appearances with Calafiori supporting him at left-back, Martinelli looks back to his best. In two games, Martinelli has scored once and provided two assists, after 18 games without a goal or assist.
Arsenal are about to fix the left-side problem
Arsenal’s lack of consistency and output from the left side was a problem last season, but Arteta has already taken active steps to fix it.
Having a left-back as complete, and as comfortable on the ball as Calafiori has already raised the level at left-back, and getting Martinelli back to his best will be like a new signing.
Mikel Merino has also joined in midfield, and the Spaniard can provide enough physicality and technical excellence to be able to drift towards the left and support Martinelli further, whilst Raheem Sterling is also an option on that side.
It is already clear that Martinelli performs better with Calafiori behind him, and this could be the key to fixing the issue on the left. If Arsenal are to challenge for the title, they will need consistency across all positions on the pitch.
