The young Roman has overcome past physical issues and established himself as an undisputed starter at Arsenal.
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His performance against Manchester United, right from the opening matchday, convinced the Spanish coach of his reliability and maturity. Defensively solid, with 1.3 tackles and 2.5 recoveries per game, Calafiori has won 57% of duels and 67% of aerial challenges, while in the build-up phase he guarantees 85% successful passes.
Arteta admits he's delighted with Calafiori's early season impact.
After their Champions League win against Athletic Bilbao, Arteta said: "He has a special aura, he's unpredictable for opponents and he can make an impact in different spaces on the pitch.
"I'm very happy with him."