Calafiori's performance left a lot to be desired

 By Danong

Arsenal came into their Sunday evening clash with Manchester United hoping to secure a fifth straight Premier League victory over the Red Devils. However, their ambitions were thwarted as the two teams settled for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

The Gunners’ title hopes already seemed dim following a 1-0 loss to West Ham and a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest. But with Liverpool staging a 3-1 comeback win over Southampton on Saturday to extend their lead to 16 points, Arsenal desperately needed a win to stay within touching distance. Unfortunately, they returned to North London with only a point.

With intentions to collect all three points, many felt Arsenal’s star defender Riccardo Calafiori held them back in this game.

The Italian fullback’s attacking exploits left space behind, which Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho exploited effectively.

One review summed it up: “Alejandro Garnacho looked really bright vs. Arsenal — he caused Calafiori problems.”

United, struggling in the final third for much of the game, found hope in Garnacho’s pace causing trouble on the right wing. 

Calafiori failed to clear a long high ball and Trossard had to step in to halt Garnacho’s run towards Arsenal's goal. He ended up fouling him just outside the area.

Bruno Fernandes stepped up to curl a beauty over the wall and into the top corner, putting United ahead 1-0 just before halftime.

Some Arsenal fans were visibly frustrated with Calafiori’s first-half performance and might have opted to sub him off at halftime. However, Arteta gave the £42 million summer recruit a chance to redeem himself in the second half.

Unfortunately, things got worse as Garnacho’s influence grew, and the United team appeared to target Calafiori as the weak link. Subbed off in the 58th minute, Calafiori’s performance was one to forget.

His stats (via Sofascore) tell the story:  

- Possession lost: 5  

- Touches: 31  
- Accurate passes: 20/22  
- Aerial duels won: 0/2  
- Ground duels won: 1/3  
- Dribbles attempted/completed: 1/0  
- Tackles: 1  
- Dribbled past: 1  

In stark contrast, Myles Lewis-Skelly, who replaced him, delivered an assured performance:  

- Possession lost: 0  
- Touches: 19  
- Accurate passes: 16/16  
- Ground duels won: 2/3

Last season, Arsenal struggled to find consistency at left-back, a position plagued by injuries and underwhelming performances.

Jurrien Timber’s season-long absence, alongside mixed showings from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, and an injury-hit Takehiro Tomiyasu, left a glaring hole in Arsenal's left hand side.

Arsenal splashed £42 million on Calafiori last summer, believing he was the solution. However, his form and fitness (missed a few weeks earlier in the season due to injury) have fallen short of expectations.  

Meanwhile, Hale End graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly has seized his opportunities, delivering strong performances game after game.

Though his youthful exuberance has occasionally led to rash red cards, his overall impact has raised questions about whether Arsenal needed to invest so heavily in Calafiori.  They could have invested the money on a new centre forward instead. 

Sunday’s clash seemed to tilt the scales in Lewis-Skelly’s favor. As Calafiori struggled against Garnacho, Lewis-Skelly came on to stabilize the left flank, making a compelling case for the starting role.

While Calafiori endured a rough outing, Declan Rice delivered his best performance in an Arsenal shirt. The midfield dynamo was relentless, excelling defensively and capping off his display with the all-important equalizer to ensure Arsenal didn’t leave Old Trafford empty-handed.

This result leaves Arsenal reflecting on missed opportunities while still battling to close the gap on Liverpool. The left-back battle continues to heat up, and Arteta must decide if Calafiori can reclaim his spot or if Lewis-Skelly’s rise will make him the long-term solution.