Key Takeaways
- Arsenal secured a huge 5-1 win in the Champions League away at Sporting, with multiple players impressing.
- Jurrien Timber & Riccardo Calafiori both shone against Lisbon, which led to Arsenal supporters to sing their praises.
- Arsenal need to keep them fit to maintain momentum, according to many onlookers.
After Arsenal made it two wins out of two on their return to action after the international break as they ran out 5-1 winners over Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday night, it isn’t their attacking players that are grabbing all the attention. Instead, it was the commendable work done by their full-backs, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
In the modern game, the full-back position has grown increasingly pivotal, as exemplified by the transformative impact of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold on Liverpool’s sustained success in recent years. While Arsenal have often grappled with finding their own solution to this tactical advantage—struggling with players like Oleksandr Zinchenko falling short of expectations—their midweek performance offered a glimpse of hope, easing concerns in an area of the pitch they once looked lost in.
The victory followed closely on the heels of a commanding 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest at the weekend. Though Mikel Arteta’s side remain nine points adrift of the Premier League summit, this week has been nothing short of perfect for Arsenal. With momentum building, they will now feel they’ve uncovered yet another crucial piece of the puzzle in their pursuit of that long-awaited major honour in the club’s post-Arsene Wenger era.
Jurrien Timber & Riccardo Calafiori’s Performances
They were at the heart of everything good for Arsenal in midweek
After just seven minutes, Timber picked the ball up on the right and sent a delivery across goal which Gabriel Martinelli tapped in at the back post. Arsenal then got a second in the 22nd minute as Timber set Thomas Partey up for a lofted pass into the path of Saka, who poked past Franco Israel for Kai Havertz to tap in.
The Dutchman, who was out for the majority of last season through an ACL injury, was initially brought in as a potential replacement or understudy to Gabriel in the middle of defence. However, it’s safe to say life at right-back hasn’t treated the 23-year-old too badly. His all-around defensive qualities, the intensity in which he presses, and his quality in the final third has earned him shouts from the Emirates faithful for being the best signing they’ve seen in recent years.
Riccardo Calafiori, meanwhile, has left fans with a similar impression from the opposite flank. After a successful Euro 2024 campaign, which saw the Italian become a constant threat from deep, he has brought that pizzazz to north London early into his new surroundings after the club navigated one of the best summer transfer windows among their rivals.
Against Sporting, the 22-year-old bombed up and down the flank, making that part of the pitch his own in some ways. An impressive passing success rate of 96% placed him above anyone else on the pitch, as he also made two key passes into the final third.
What Fans Are Saying About the New Full-back Partnership
Gunners’ fans are adamant their performance level goes up dramatically when they start
After the game, numerous Arsenal fans all said the same thing about Timber and Calafiori, who both delivered incredible displays from either flank. One fan claimed that the Gunners likely would’ve won the league had Timber been fit last season, while another added: “Timber and Calafiori at FB completely takes this team to another level. The control on games is incredible.”
Another comment with a similar sentiment read: “Arsenal has to do whatever it takes to keep both Timber and Calafiori fit.” Meanwhile, a third user added: “Timber and Calafiori are huge upgrades from White and Zinchenko”, and a fourth remarked: “Timber is to Saka defensively what Calafiori is to Martinelli offensively. If these two players are fit there’s very few teams in the world who will beat us, if any at all.”
The Gunners are next in action on Saturday evening when they face London rivals West Ham United in a Premier League match on the road. On the same weekend, Manchester City, who are winless in six games but still viewed as Arsenal’s biggest roadblock to glory, are away at Liverpool, and so the emphasis now is on Arteta’s side to continue building on their head of steam.