Italy’s media are all saying the same worrying thing about Arsenal ace Riccardo Calafiori

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Arsenal ace Riccardo Calafiori has come in for some criticism for his display in Italy’s latest World Cup qualifying match.

The defender has featured for the Azzurri in a back three this international break, being given some license to roam and disrupt in the way only he can.

That saw Calafiori praised during Italy’s win over Estonia, as he helped give the side some hope of qualifying for the World Cup.

Next up, the Arsenal ace had to help Italy overcome Israel, with a win guaranteeing a place in the play-offs, while there is still a slim hope of qualifying automatically.

It was an ideal result on the evening, but the Italian media have pointed out a worry surrounding the defender’s performance.

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Italian media criticise Riccardo Calafiori’s performance

Riccardo Calafiori’s role for Italy has developed in the past year or so, having become much more of a marauding defender, similar to how he plays for Arsenal.

The versatile star is capable of defending in one moment before attacking the very next, often unsettling the opposition.

While that worked well against Estonia, it seems the Arsenal ace had a little less luck against Israel.

The Italian media criticised elements of his display, with Calciomercato giving him a 5.5 out of ten, and saying: “He’s the one who gives our opponents their first big chance of the match, when he’s caught in a melee by Khalaili. He’s careless in covering his own area and fails to close down in a couple of situations on the runs of Gloukh and Baribo, who shoot too easily. He almost scores in the final minutes.”

Calafiori got a six out of ten from Sky Italia, though the theme was similar, as they said: “Less brilliant than usual and even out of position on a couple of Israeli counterattacks in the first half. He always has elegance and a high head, but on this night, he doesn’t produce any plays worthy of the red circle. Despite a short clearance from the defence, he gets to the ball first and sets up Tonali for a shot.”

Eurosport gave him a 6.5 rating, with some slightly more positive words, saying: “Only a little uncertainty in the first half, when he lost an aerial duel with Khalaili. After that, he performed well. He frequently advanced his position, even participating in the penalty shootout, and almost scored the third in injury time.”

It’s the sort of display that wasn’t the most secure from the Arsenal man, but didn’t prove the most costly either.

That is just the kind of player he is, though, with the chaos and disruption capable of impacting either team.

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Arsenal need to be wary of Riccardo Calafiori yellow card suspension on return

When Arsenal return from the international break, there are some important games ahead of them that could dictate how successful this season is.

The early season so far has seen Calafiori as the starting left-back, with the defender shrugging off an injury-riddled campaign last time out.

While his form so far has kept him in the team, there may be one thing that could easily take him out of it: yellow cards.

Calafiori is only two cautions away from a one-match ban, with there being another 12 matches in the Premier League before that counter resets.

The current threshold states that five yellow cards will result in a suspension, with three in the opening seven games pointing towards his chaotic nature.

While Calafiori has been a standout so far, any suspension could open the door for Myles Lewis-Skelly to impress instead.