Is it time for Arsenal to give Calafiori his debut to strengthen our left flank?

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·21. September 2024

Is it time for Arsenal to give Calafiori his debut to strengthen our left flank?

Mikel Arteta may need to make a change on Arsenal’s left side against Manchester City. Watching Arsenal’s 0-0 tie with Atalanta, I couldn’t help but think of how the LHS’s failure to click last season held back this Arsenal team, for how it didn’t look flawless Thursday night.

Against Atlanta, the left side of Timber, Rice, and Martinelli definitely lacked a proper ballplayer; it looked a little stiff and right-footed. If the Gunners intend to outwit the Citizens, they need to make some adjustments in the LHS.

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To improve their left wing, Arteta signed Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino. The plan was to have midfielder Merino play LCM and defender Calafiori play left back. The Spanish midfielder is unavailable for LCM selection due to a shoulder injury sustained during training, while the Italian defender has yet to make the starting lineup. Don’t you think Arteta should unleash Calafiori while Merino recovers from his injury to return and complete Arsenal’s LHS equation?

Timber is a solid leftback, but he isn’t as fluid as Calafiori. In his 18-minute cameo against Atalanta, he provided Arsenal with plenty of unpredictability in the build-up and possession phases. Watching that game, you could see he gave them the X factor on the ball to work with. If there is one element of surprise for Arsenal entering into the match against City, it could be starting Calafiori and introducing Timber to finish the game.

Gabriel Martinelli had a difficult game against Atalanta, so starting Calafiori and Merino (when he returns) to lay the groundwork for him to recapture his mojo could be one approach to giving the Arsenal LHS a boost.

Peter Rix

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