[Arsenal](https://goonernews.com/) survived another tough challenge in the Premier League this weekend, maintaining their status as league leaders by taking down rivals Chelsea 2-1. In the win, left back Piero Hincapie delivered another great performance, increasing the rumblings that he could usurp Riccardo Calfiori as the starter going forward.
Calafiori was actually playing well at the left back position before suffering a muscular injury, and even though he should be healthy enough to return to the starting lineup, the Italian international has remained benched in favor of Hincapie.
The Ecuadorian international has made his permanent signing from Bayer Leverkusen a mere formality at this point. Wanted by literally every other club in the Premier League Big Six, Hincapie’s brand of athleticism and hard-nosed defensive style made him the best fit for Arsenal, and now that he’s found his way into the starting lineup, the fiery and yet elegant defender is not ceding his spot.
Capable of playing literally any defensive position in a back three or four, Hincapie, at his best as a center back, has nestled nicely into the left back role. And though Calafiori was the one hyped as the best ball playing center back in Italy before moving to North London, Hincapie has been even better, translating his Bundesliga chops to an even higher passing accuracy percentage than Calafiori at Arsenal.
What separates Hincapie from Calafiori as a superior left back option is his activity. He overlaps more often than Calafiori, he is a better athlete, he is more durable, he has more pace, and he offers more ball winning in addition to being a superior attacking option.
With 2.8 combined tackles and interceptions per game, Hincapie is a menace for opposing attackers to deal with, always a threat to pick their pockets and spring an attack forward.
Hincapie won three more tackles and interceptions against Chelsea, and yet that was his worst performance of the last four, having dominated Tottenham Hotspur with seven tackles after shutting down Wolves with three interceptions.
Calafiori is a great player and a more than serviceable left back, but he is not back in the starting lineup yet simply because Hincapie offers more and gives Mikel Arteta dimensions that Calafiori cannot as an athlete – not that Calafiori is slouch but that Hincapie is simply even better.
Joe Soriano is the editor of _The Trivela Effect_ and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like _The Real Champs_ (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage _NFL Spin Zone_ and _Daily DDT,_ covering the NFL and pro wrestling.