Calafiori hails Arteta influence: ‘The most important man at Arsenal’ | OneFootball

Arsenal match winner Riccardo Calafiori hailed Mikel Arteta’s influence and says there is much more to come from himself at the club.

Calafiori scored the winner for the Gunners in their victory over Wolves on Saturday.

Arsenal had seen Myles Lewis-Skelly controversially sent off in the first half and played with ten against 11 until the 70th minute, when Wolves’ Joao Gomes was also sent off.

Calafiori had endured a frustrating first season at the club with injuries after joining from Bologna in the summer.

But after recovering from his latest setback, Calafiori says he is ready to shine under Arteta.

“He is the most important man here at Arsenal,” Calafiori said about Arteta, speaking to Rodrigo Lara of TNT SPORTS MEX. “He loves me a lot and I also want to wear this shirt. I have to learn a lot of things if I want to continue here.

“I feel very happy, very happy to help the team and win a very difficult game.

“It was very difficult because we had one man less, but we won in the end. I’m very happy for the team.”

Calafiori also scored a crucial goal in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City earlier this season and is proving to be an unlikely goal threat for Arteta’s team.

And despite the injuries he has had to endure, Calafiori says he is loving life at the club.

“Very good from the start, to be honest,” he said.

“I want to do better and be available for all games because sometimes I’ve had muscle problems but now I want to play and help the team until the end of the season.”

Speaking after the win over Wolves, Arteta hailed the character shown by Calafiori and the rest of his Arsenal team-mates: “It’s incredible what the boys did again,” he said.

“In the context that we were thrown in again, it was about character, personality of the team, courage and intelligence to play the game we wanted to play. It was exceptional.”