Calafiori on his weekend winner and aims for the rest of the season

Yesterday at 06:48 AM

For all the frustration surrounding Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card at Wolves, there was something incredibly satisfying about his replacement, Riccardo Calafiori, netting the winning goal.

And what a strike it was. With a swipe of his left foot, the Italian produced a perfect daisycutter half-volley that zipped across the grass, clipped the post and nestled in the back of the net.

His celebration wasn’t bad either. A point to the cannon on his chest, an embrace from William Saliba and a bundle with the backroom staff made for a fitting reaction on an afternoon when Arsenal had to overcome the odds to gain an advantage.

“I was pretty emotional and it meant a lot for me, but also for the team,” reflected Calafiori on Tuesday.

“I was so happy to give the team and to give us the victory, the three points, and it’s a huge win, so I’m so happy.

“I just try to give my best in every game and if I keep on going like this, I think it’s even better because this means that I’m so important for the team.

“I’m just trying to play and to score even more goals to help the team with my kind of play.”

Having opened his Gunners account with a stunning strike at Manchester City, Calafiori is developing a reputation for aesthetically pleasing goals. But where did that technique and prowess come from?

“To be honest, even in training I’m not so good, but then when it comes to the game, it’s different,” he joked.

“It’s just, I don’t know, the ball goes in the net.

“When I was a kid, I think like everyone, I was a striker and I liked to score many goals.

“Then as soon as I arrived to my first professional team, I started to play more in the back, but I think I haven’t lost this feeling with the goal, I hope.”

Had everything gone to plan for Calafiori since his arrival from Bologna, he’d probably be ensconced as the club’s first-choice left-back. Instead, a series of small injuries and the rise of Lewis-Skelly have seen him spend more time on the touchline and bench than he might have wanted. His aim as the season’s climax comes into view, is to build some momentum.

“Of course, I would have liked to play every game, to be fit for all the games,” said Calafiori.

“But to be honest, most of the injuries that I had, I couldn’t control because it was like a hit on the knee, so I had just to keep on going and I hope and I think that I’ll be fit until the end of the season to help the team.

“It [left-back] was my position throughout my career. Only last season I played as a centre-back, but I still can do this position. And also the way we play with the left-back, with the right-back at Arsenal is completely different, I would say, from the classic position.

“So I think it’s really good for my skills, for my qualities. And as I said before, I want to stay fit for the team.

“I think in this new era of football, the key is to be open and to be able to play in different positions.”

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