Arsenal Defender Calafiori Recalls Everton Celebration Chaos
Riccardo Calafiori, the Arsenal defender hailed by manager Mikel Arteta as a chief "chaos creator," has opened up about the wild celebrations that followed Max Dowman's historic late goal against Everton last Saturday. In an exclusive reflection, Calafiori described the moment as the highlight of Arsenal's season so far, with players and fans alike caught up in a euphoric scramble by the corner flag at the Emirates Stadium.
"We Were All So Happy": Calafiori's Emotional Account
"We were all so happy. We ran towards him and the fans," Calafiori said, recalling the scenes after Dowman's six-touch wonder clinched a vital victory. "It was almost a fight with the fans – in a nice way, obviously. It was amazing." The Italy international noted that even Kai Havertz got involved, borrowing a supporter's glasses to wave in the air before politely returning them, adding to the memorable chaos.
Calafiori's own contribution to the 2-1 win was significant, with an acrobatic block to deny Dwight McNeil leaving Everton manager David Moyes in awe. The 23-year-old believes such moments are building blocks for greater success. "I believe that with these small things, big things normally happen, something big is going to happen," he stated, looking ahead to Arsenal's Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Arteta's Challenge: Harnessing Positivity for Leverkusen
Mikel Arteta, who was visibly emotional after Dowman's goal and remained beaming at his pre-match press conference, faces the task of channeling this feelgood factor into the crucial European tie. Arsenal hold a formidable home record in the Champions League under Arteta, with 13 wins from 16 games, and will rely on a buoyant Emirates crowd to push them toward a third successive quarter-final.
"That's what we want. When you have that momentum, you need to maintain it and improve it and as you go from competition to competition, you have to use it to win," Arteta emphasized. He highlighted the importance of generating energy and belief from the supporters to overcome a Leverkusen side that drew against Bayern Munich and beat Olympiakos recently, proving their threat in open play and set pieces.
Defensive Resolve and Champions League Ambitions
Despite conceding only five goals in nine Champions League matches this season, Arsenal looked vulnerable at times in the first leg against Leverkusen, with Gabriel Magalhães struggling against young striker Christian Kofane. Calafiori, who may start on the bench with Piero Hincapié likely at left-back, stressed the defensive mentality needed. "Like I proved on Saturday, we want to defend our goal and we keep fighting with all our bodies to save the team and to save the result," he said. "So I think this mentality is much more important. At this level we're talking about details, so this can change the game all the time."
Arsenal topped their group with eight wins and are seeded among the top two in the knockout phase, potentially setting up a quarter-final clash with Bodø/Glimt. However, Arteta remains cautious, acknowledging that his team were not at their best in Germany. "They have a lot of quality individually in a lot of areas of the pitch. As every team, they have their strengths, their weaknesses, and we'll try to target them," he said. "When you come to this stage in the competition, you really have to elevate your game to a different level, collectively and individually."
With the stakes high and the memory of Everton's jubilation fresh, Arsenal aim to blend defensive grit with attacking flair to secure their place in the last eight, leveraging the positive atmosphere to overcome a confident Leverkusen side.
