2 hours ago
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Riccardo Calafiori has reacted positively to Arsenal's position at the top of the Premier League table as they head into the October international break. The Gunners secured a 2-0 victory over West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Liverpool's loss to Chelsea later that day being the icing on the cake.
Goals from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka's penalty ensured a fourth consecutive win for Mikel Arteta's side, who have kept five clean sheets during their impressive seven-match unbeaten run.
However, fitness issues have cast a shadow over recent weeks, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, and Rice all sustaining injuries. Both Odegaard and Rice were substituted during the match against the Hammers, with Arteta's post-match comments not particularly reassuring.
"I think he [Odegaard] had a clash knee-to-knee, and immediately he was uncomfortable, I just spoke to him, he's not positive about it, he's got a brace on, we'll have to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven't been very unlucky with that either," Arteta admitted in his post-match press conference.
On the subject of Rice, he added: "Well, he's not alright because he asked me to come off, so that's a shame. So, he had pain in his back and he could not carry on, which is something very unusual for Declan, so we'll have to assess him and see how he is."
Despite injury worries for Odegaard and Rice, the October international break has come at an opportune time for Arsenal, providing a two-week respite.
However, concerns persist over Odegaard, who has been ruled out of playing for his country during the domestic break. On the other hand, Rice is expected to join the England squad on Monday.
Apart from these issues, Arteta will be delighted with Arsenal's performance after seven matches, having secured five victories with the only points dropped against Liverpool and Man City. He faced severe criticism for his cautious approach against Pep Guardiola's team, but he pulled out all the stops in the exhilarating comeback victory over Newcastle United.
The rivalry between the two teams has escalated over the years, characterized by fiery encounters, which certainly explains why Calafiori's contentious attempt to dry the ball for a long throw-in using a towel was met with boos.
This was due to Premier League rules stating that clubs must agree to the use of towels because of the multi-ball system, something that was clearly not agreed upon at St James' Park. Calafiori was visibly upset when Dan Burn took the towel away from him, but he would have been satisfied with how things turned out a few weeks later.
Back at the Gunners' home turf, it seemed a mutual understanding had been reached regarding their use, with the Italian international seizing the opportunity and delivering an impeccable message.
On his Instagram story, Calafiori shared: "3 massive points!!! And a towel [heart eyes emoji]."
Calafiori showcased his attacking prowess against West Ham, narrowly missing out on his second goal of the season when his long-range effort hit the woodwork.
After a challenging debut season marred by injuries, the adaptable defender seems to be hitting his stride, keeping Myles Lewis-Skelly sidelined.
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