(Credit:Imago)

Aasif Rahman

Mon 18 August 2025 8:39, UK

Arsenal players shared a reaction to Riccardo Calafiori’s message to supporters after he scored the decisive goal in their win over Manchester United.

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The Gunners left Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory to kick off the 2025/26 season in the best possible way, despite being under pressure for a majority of the game.

New arrivals Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres both started for Mikel Arteta, but it was the Italian defender who made the difference.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both went close, but the visitors’ backline held firm, showing grit and composure to see out the result and take all three points.

After the final whistle, Calafiori marked his goal with a passionate message to supporters, making clear his determination to build on a strong performance.

Calafiori marked the victory by posting a series of photos on Instagram, including one of his winning goal at Old Trafford.

He captioned the post: “First game of the season and 3 points.

Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli reacted with heart emojis, while Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard were among those to like the post.

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The Italy international endured a difficult debut season at Arsenal, missing 26 games through injury after his move from Bologna last summer.

That spell of absences left some fans questioning his future, with some Arsenal fans calling for Calafiori to be sold.

However, the 23-year-old has shown a knack for stepping up in big moments.

Last season, Calafiori scored a long-range strike against Manchester City, found the winning goal against Wolves, and now he has started the new campaign with another crucial strike.

With Myles Lewis-Skelly emerging as a serious option in defence, Calafiori had appeared to slip down the pecking order under Arteta, who often turned to the 18-year-old instead.
For more news relating to Manchester United, visit our sister site MUFC Live.