Riccardo Calafiori‘s hip injury is not considered serious by Italy’s medical staff, providing crucial relief for Arsenal ahead of the North London derby against Tottenham on November 23. The defender is managing hip pain but should be available for Arsenal’s first match after the international break.

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Expected to Miss Moldova Clash

Italian reports confirm Calafiori will not feature against Moldova on Thursday despite being named in Gennaro Gattuso’s travelling squad. Italy hope their left-back will recover sufficiently to face Norway in Sunday’s crucial World Cup qualifier, though Arsenal’s priority remains his fitness for the derby.

Gattuso publicly praised Calafiori’s professionalism during the international window. “I have to thank the likes of Barella, Calafiori and Bastoni for being here, as it was by no means to be taken for granted. I congratulate the lads for their professionalism and hunger, which they show every day.”

The 23-year-old has started every Premier League match for Arsenal this season, establishing himself as indispensable to Mikel Arteta‘s system. His 12 appearances across all competitions demonstrate his importance to Arsenal’s strong campaign challenging for the title.

Italy’s World Cup Play-Off Preparations

Italy face a World Cup play-off in March after automatic qualification hopes faded due to Norway’s vastly superior goal difference. Gattuso confirmed significant rotation against Moldova, with Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“I can confirm that there will be many changes, but without any problems or fears,” Gattuso explained. “I have great faith in my players; they all deserve a night like tomorrow’s.”

Arsenal’s medical team will monitor Calafiori closely during Italy’s double-header. His availability for the North London derby represents a major boost given his consistent performances at left-back this season. Arteta cannot afford losing his first-choice defender for such a crucial fixture against Spurs, making Italy’s cautious approach welcome news in North London.

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Renee Slegers delivered a scathing self-assessment after Arsenal Women surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Bayern Munich, admitting her side failed to handle the German champions’ second-half tactical adjustments.

First-Half Dominance Counted for Nothing

Arsenal established complete control through the opening 45 minutes, with Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey goals reflecting their superiority. Slegers acknowledged her team’s excellent pressing game forced Bayern into repeated mistakes while Arsenal dominated possession in the attacking third.

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“We do a lot of things really well in the first half and our pressing game and how we force them into mistakes and they don’t get out of their half and we play really, really well on the ball,” Slegers explained. “I think we maybe could have even scored one more in the first half and that’s of course, really strong going away against Bayern.”

However, the Arsenal boss recognized Bayern’s second-half transformation exposed her team’s tactical inadequacies. “The second half is another half. I think we dominate the first half, second half is Bayern.”

Tactical Naivety Exposed

Slegers identified Bayern’s strategic shift as the turning point. “What they start to do, especially after they make it 2-1, they start to play in behind and they start to play a long, second ball game and they stack numbers high and we don’t deal with it well enough.”

This admission reveals Arsenal’s inability to adjust defensively when Bayern altered their approach. The high defensive line that worked brilliantly during the first half became a liability once Bayern committed bodies forward and targeted space in behind.

Slegers’ honest assessment pulled no punches about the collapse. “So we’re not happy, it’s not good enough to give away three goals so late in the game against Bayern.”

The defeat leaves Arsenal with two losses from three Champions League matches, placing significant pressure on their title defense. Slegers must quickly solve the defensive fragility that allowed Bayern’s comeback or risk elimination from Europe’s premier competition.

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Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal lead at the Allianz Arena, collapsing spectacularly after dominating the first half. The defeat represents an early blow to the holders’ Champions League defense and exposes fundamental weaknesses in Renee Slegers’ side.

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Defensive High Line Proved Disastrous

Arsenal’s backline held an extremely high defensive position throughout, which Bayern ruthlessly exploited during their second-half comeback. Stephanie Catley and Lottie Wubben-Moy were caught flat-footed for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal, with Bayern breaking quickly while Arsenal pushed high up the pitch.

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Sehitler found herself in acres of space to clip past Daphne van Domselaar, highlighting catastrophic positioning from Arsenal’s defenders. The same defensive naivety appeared for Pernille Harder’s equalizer, with both center-backs standing off and allowing the substitute uncontested shooting space on the box edge.

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Second-Half Tactical Capitulation

Arsenal dominated the opening 45 minutes completely, making Bayern look ordinary through high pressing and controlled possession. But Slegers failed adjusting tactically after halftime, allowing Bayern to completely dominate proceedings and turn the match around.

The manager receives a damning 4/10 rating for her inability to respond as Bayern’s momentum grew. Her substitutions failed stemming the tide, with Chloe Kelly and Frida Maanum making minimal impact. Maanum particularly disappointed by squandering a glorious opportunity with 10 minutes remaining after excellent Alessia Russo work.

Pernille Harder Continues Arsenal Curse

Harder’s 80th-minute equalizer marked her seventh goal against Arsenal following her Chelsea career. The Danish striker’s unorthodox but brilliant looping shot over Van Domselaar demonstrated her instinctive finishing ability that has consistently punished the Gunners.

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Arsenal’s inability to handle Harder’s movement and shooting prowess reflects deeper issues defending against intelligent forwards who exploit space between lines. Her goal sparked Bayern’s late surge, with Glodis Viggosdottir completing the turnaround four minutes later following another Klara Buhl assist.

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