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Max Dowman and Viktor Gyokeres scored the goals that saw Arsenal beat Everton, but it was Riccardo Calafiori who earned David Moyes’ applause.
Arsenal had to dig deep to beat Everton, and they did just that, showing why they are Premier League champions-elect.
Gyokeres’ 89th-minute tap-in and Dowman’s history-making goal made the difference to get Mikel Arteta’s side three points, as the Arsenal manager got the better of his former boss.
Moyes has been complimentary of Arsenal this season, and despite suffering defeat to the Gunners, he took the time to single out one player post-match: Riccardo Calafiori.
Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match against Everton?
HUGE WIN.
David Moyes applauded Riccardo Calafiori’s block against Everton
Everton had a series of opportunities to score, none better than in the first half when Dwight McNeil fancied his chances.
In the 18th minute, McNeil fired a shot that looked goal-bound, but somehow, before the ball reached David Raya, Calafiori was there to block the effort.
In typical Calafiori-fashion, his block was ridiculous, pulling off a scorpion-kick to clear the danger, a moment of flair only the Italian could produce.
The block roused Arsenal fans and also left a lasting impact on Moyes.
“The block from Calafiori on Dwight McNeil is unbelievable,” Moyes said in his post-match press conference, as per James Benge.
The Everton boss added that the nature of the block said a lot about Arsenal as a collective.
“That shows you a bit about how Arsenal are.”
The block aside, it was a top performance from Calafiori when returning to the starting XI, a display that informed Arteta that the future of the left-back position is in safe hands.
Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie showed why they’re Arsenal’s top two against Everton
Piero Hincapie has been tremendous this season for Arsenal, recently overtaking Calafiori in the pecking order.
Who is Arsenal’s best left-back: RICCARDO CALAFIORI or PIERO HINCAPIE?
Credit: Getty Images
Against Everton, the options available to Arteta came in handy, as when Calafiori needed to be replaced, Hincapie came on and put in a monstrous shift.
While Hincapie won 100% of his ground duels after coming on, Calafiori won 100% of his aerial duels before departing, both showing their manager what they can offer.
Having quality in abundance to this degree is new for Arsenal, but seeing the impact of good recruitment, the Gunners will never want to go back again.
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