Unseen Riccardo Calafiori Arsenal moment speaks volumes as Mikel Arteta unlocks two new roles

Riccardo Calafiori has been an injury concern in more games than he has started for Arsenal since his summer move from Bologna, yet when he lined up at centre-back against Bolton he was one of the more established members of the team. That is the scale of what Mikel Arteta was working with.

Although on paper it was a team still with Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho – both of whom cost over £10million in the 2023 January transfer window in a bit to strengthen a title-chasing team – the backline lacked experience. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Raheem Sterling is a quality frontline but breaking down a determined low-block and staying compact at the other end is easier said than done.

With four teenagers in the starting XI – including the youngest player ever to start a game for the club – and four more on the bench, with two coming on, even 22-year-old Calafiori looked positively ancient. Thrust into such a key role, he played it with distinction.

To his left was Myles Lewis-Skelly in an unusual position when defending. To his right, Kiwior playing on the wrong side of centre-back, and 18-year-old Josh Nichols. Behind him, 16-year-old Jack Porter. He was four when Sergio Aguero scored that goal to win Manchester City the Premier League.

So although Arsenal didn’t always look as watertight as Arteta has drilled his first team to, there are understandable caveats. For Calafiori it was also an opportunity, on his full home debut, to have an impact in other ways.

Having scored his first goal in some style, the impact he was able to have here was just as much off-the-ball as it was on it. This can be seen more than anything else when analysing Porter’s 90 minutes.

Thrust into a makeshift defence, the goalkeeper was looked after by those around him. Not in a condescending way, but one entirely consistent with helping a kid in a game against men.

The most notable example was in the second half. Arsenal had already conceded, placing Porter in the unenviable position of a one-on-one without any sign of defensive support, and soon after he was in action again.

This time receiving the ball in his own box and being closed down by revved-up goalscorer Aaron Collins, Porter attempted a first-time pass through the onrushing Bolton man.

The gap was not there though and Porter got away with things as the ball rebounded off Collins and towards goal.

It landed safely wide in the end but was a heart-in-mouth moment for the Hale End graduate.

Far from putting pressure on the stand-in ‘keeper, Calafiori went straight to encouragement. Standing near the left touchline for Arsenal, and as the intended recipient of Porter’s pass, Calafiori instead stood and clapped, applauding the attempt and bravery of such an action.

As Porter went back to take the goal kick it was also evident that his teammates continued to support him.

During an earlier incident from the first half Arsenal chose to let him kick long from the floor despite usually setting up to slice through via short passes.