Updated 12 October 2026. Riccardo Calafiori has now produced three attacking returns in six Gameweeks.
The question is no longer whether he is attacking enough.
It is whether he is now Arsenal's best FPL defender.
Role
Calafiori regularly becomes Arsenal's fifth attacker.
Against Leeds he repeatedly arrived in the box and his goal came directly from that advanced role.
Three attacking returns in six
That gives him a route beyond clean sheets.
For a defender, multiple scoring routes are extremely valuable.
Calafiori vs Gabriel
Calafiori
Pros:
- more open-play attack;
- advanced positioning;
- cheaper.
Cons:
- some minutes management;
- no DefCon points yet.
Gabriel
Pros:
- set-piece threat;
- traditional centre-back security;
- premium clean-sheet route.
Cons:
- higher price.
Calafiori vs Konsa
Konsa returned from injury and earned DefCon again.
Calafiori has the bigger ceiling.
Konsa can offer the better floor per pound.
Calafiori vs Raya
Raya is the simplest clean-sheet route and avoids outfield rotation.
Calafiori offers substantially more attacking upside.
OneFPL verdict
Calafiori is currently Arsenal's highest-upside defender.
He is not automatically the safest.
Choose:
- ceiling → Calafiori;
- set-piece/security → Gabriel;
- value/DefCon → Konsa;
- pure team defence → Raya.
FAQ
Is Calafiori the best Arsenal defender?
He currently offers the strongest open-play attacking upside, but Gabriel, Konsa and Raya offer different combinations of security and value.
How many attacking returns does he have?
Three attacking returns in six league matches.
What is the main risk?
He has not earned DefCon points and his minutes can be managed.
Fixture-proof or fixture-dependent?
Calafiori's attacking role gives him a better chance than most defenders to return in harder fixtures.
That does not mean clean-sheet probability stops mattering.
Against weaker opponents, he can combine:
- clean-sheet points;
- attacking returns;
- bonus.
Against stronger opponents, much of the appeal comes from the advanced role rather than defensive security.
Wildcard structure
Calafiori is especially useful on Wildcard because he can act like a hybrid between premium defence and a cheap attacking midfielder.
A balanced defensive setup can look like:
- Calafiori for ceiling;
- one DefCon centre-back for floor;
- one cheaper rotation defender;
- goalkeeper exposure from another strong defence.
That avoids putting all your defensive budget into one scoring route.
When would we downgrade him?
The main red flags would be:
- repeated 60-minute substitutions;
- Hincapié taking more league starts;
- a clear drop in advanced positioning;
- Arsenal's clean-sheet numbers deteriorating.
Until one of those appears, the role is strong enough to justify serious FPL interest.