A summer when Arsenal targeted Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez seems set to end without them luring a Galactico of a forward but Mikel Arteta may have other ways of adding a new dimension to his attack. Perhaps typically, given the Arsenal manager’s obsession with accumulating defenders, it involves a man whose day job is at the back.
But Riccardo Calafiori got their season off to a flying start with a goal after 23 seconds in the Community Shield. And, when Arsenal seemed short of incision at Villa Park, it was their charismatic, compelling left-back who provided the element of unpredictability required. By surging forward to supply Bukayo Saka with a simple finish, Calafiori maintained Arsenal’s 100 percent start to the campaign. If part of the test is to improve upon last year, in one respect they already have: defeated at Villa Park in December, they were victorious now.
