At a Glance:
Arsenal comfortably beat Fulham 3-0 on Saturday evening in the Premier League.
The result saw the Gunners move six points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table.
One player impressed with his performance and should now be in contention to start against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Arsenal produced an exceptional performance on Saturday evening against Fulham to solidify their position at the top of the Premier League table, and one star in particular emerged from the clash with a lot of credit in the bank.
Mikel Arteta’s side ran out 3-0 winners at the Emirates, courtesy of a brace from Viktor Gyokeres and a neat finish from Bukayo Saka. Gyokeres tapped home from a Saka cross early on, before the winger doubled the Gunners’ lead after a neat exchange involving the Swede.
The North Londoners’ top scorer then wrapped the result up for the home side by heading past Bernd Leno following an intricate passage of play from Leandro Trossard. The result sees Arsenal move six points clear of Manchester City, who next play on Monday night away at Everton.
Riccardo Calafiori was excellent for Arsenal against Fulham
Arteta made a handful of changes for the visit of the Cottagers on Saturday. Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, the Spaniard rested a few key players, bringing in the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard.
Lewis-Skelly stole the headlines with his impressive display in the middle of the park, although it should arguably be the impact Calafiori made that is grabbing more attention.
While Piero Hinacapie has been outstanding from a defensive standpoint in recent weeks, the Gunners have arguably lost some offensive prowess on the left-hand side of their attack, and Saturday’s game in N5 really showed that.
Not only was Calafiori aggressive with his positioning, but he was also aggressive with the way in which he moved the ball up the pitch. He didn’t settle for the easy pass or option, and instead constantly looked to do something progressive to get Arsenal into a more dangerous area.
His unconventional roaming into forward areas caused chaos, while he was unfortunate to have strayed offside when his goal was ruled out in the first half.
Riccardo Calafiori vs Fulham Statistics
Minutes Played
Touches
Passes into the Final Third
Accurate Passes
Successful Dribbles
Defensive Contributions
Riccardo Calafiori vs Fulham Statistics – via FotMob
He finished the game having completed 92% of his passes, while he also registered two successful dribbles, five defensive contributions and four passes into the final third. This was an all-action and all-round accomplished showing from the Italian.
The fact that he managed to complete 90 minutes will also be a huge relief to Arteta, given the left-back’s general inability to remain fit.
Should Riccardo Calafiori start for Arsenal against Atletico Madrid?
While Calafiori impressed against the West London outfit, pondering whether he should start against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday is a completely different matter. Hincapie has been in outstanding form, and dropping the Ecuadorian would feel like a harsh decision to make.
Calafiori unquestionably adds more to Arsenal’s attack. He has more natural offensive instincts in the final third than Hincapie, and generally provides more value in possession through his passing and carrying.
Warrior ✊
The best of Hincapie against Newcastle United 🎥 pic.twitter.com/mrj3ibIo4G
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 26, 2026
However, in a crunch semi-final against some lethal attackers, Arteta is likely to opt for the more conservative approach, and this is reasonable. Arsenal don’t need to chase the game against Atletico, and they should look to keep things tight for long periods.
Hincapie is therefore the safer and more sensible option. If the Gunners need an injection of offensive quality and enthusiasm, they can call upon Calafiori at some point in the second half.