Arsenal star praises fans for ‘unbelievable atmosphere’

Riccardo Calafiori has praised the Arsenal fans for the “unbelievable atmosphere” they produced in the 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.

Arsenal put in one of their best first-half performances of the season on Saturday, and perhaps a contributing factor was the way the team and the fans fed off each other to drive the side on.

The Arsenal supporters were up from the game from the first minute, and the team responded with an early goal through Viktor Gyokeres.

The atmosphere kept building and building throughout the half, with the only dull moment being the aftermath of the VAR overturn. By the half-time whistle at 3-0, the crowd were on their feet for a standing ovation.

Riccardo Calafiori was the unfortunate player to have his goal ruled out for an offside, but he admitted after the game that it was still a very enjoyable afternoon for him.

“I really enjoyed it,” Calafiori said. “The crowd was good, the atmosphere was unbelievable. It’s a clear message. We have to think step-by-step, because of course, Tuesday we have a massive, massive game, and we’re focusing on this game.

“We’re fighting for everything at this moment, and the end of the season I think is the most important part of the season, so we have to be ready. There is no ‘tiredness’ at the moment.”

Perhaps more than anyone else, Calafiori has every incentive to give his all to the final few weeks of the season. The 23-year-old is fighting for the first honours of his senior career, and with Italy failing to qualify for the summer World Cup, he has no reason to hold himself back physically.

Calafiori’s recent injuries have disrupted his momentum over the last couple of months, but now that he’s back in the team, he’s showing what he can offer.

When he’s playing as well as he did on Saturday, the Italian international is always likely to provoke a positive reaction from the supporters. The hope is that the good vibes can carry the team through the rest of the May fixtures.

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