In his latest column for CaughtOffside, Watts examined the pre-season performances ..Continue Reading
of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori, both of whom have been competing for the left-back role.
Watts believes Calafiori may have slightly outshone his young teammate in recent outings, potentially earning himself a surprise start at Old Trafford.
Lewis-Skelly had appeared to cement his place in the starting lineup following a standout debut season, though some inconsistency in recent weeks may have opened the door for change.
While the 18-year-old remains a highly promising prospect, Calafiori has also demonstrated his ability and could become a key figure for the Gunners—provided he stays clear of the fitness issues that hampered him last season.
Discussing Arteta’s line up for this weekend, Watts said: “I think who starts at full-back this weekend will be interesting for Arsenal. There is a real competition in those positions.
“When he’s been on the pitch Riccardo Calafiori has looked very good. I really enjoyed his performance last weekend and if he’s deemed fully fit I think he might get the nod at left-back over Myles Lewis-Skelly.
“It’s a tough call, but Lewis-Skelly hasn’t looked at his best yet this summer, so I would not be surprised if Arteta goes with the Italian to try and negate the threat of Bryan Mbeumo and also cause problems up the other end.”
Arsenal clearly outperformed Manchester United last season, securing a strong 2nd-place finish while United endured a disappointing campaign, ending up in 15th.
That said, with Ruben Amorim now having had more time to instill his philosophy and bring in fresh talent, there’s every reason to expect a more competitive showing from United this season.
Historically, Arsenal have struggled to get results at Old Trafford, making it a rather challenging venue to kick off their campaign—likely not the ideal fixture from a fan’s perspective.
