Italy players in Premier League: Kayode and Calafiori off to flying starts
League football is back this weekend, and not only in Serie A: Action in the Premier League is now well underway as well and things couldn’t have got off to a better start for Italy international Riccardo Calafiori and U21 star Michael Kayode. Here is a look at how the Italy internationals in the Premier League got on on Friday and Saturday.
Italy stars Calafiori and Kayode hit the ground running in the Premier League
The Premier League season began with reigning champions in action against newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s side started as they meant to go on, setting the pace for the rest of the league with a routine 3-0 victory at home at The Emirates.
Italy international Calafiori was included in the Arsenal starting line-up, played 81 minutes at left-back in a back four, helped his side to keeping their first league clean sheet of the season and also provided an assist for the opening goal of the game (and the opening goal of the 2026-27 Premier League season).
It was his low cross in from the left flank that landed perfectly at the feet of Kai Havertz to sweep home in the centre of the penalty area.
With his goal against Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend, the Italy international has recorded a goal involvement and a clean sheet in 3-0 wins in both of his first two competitive appearances of the season.
It was also a flying start for Italy U21 star Kayode, who also chipped in with a goal in a 3-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.
The former Fiorentina right-back was in the right place at the right time to stick a leg out and poke the ball into the roof of the net from the second phase of a corner as Brentford swept Spurs aside at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Much had been made of Tottenham and their summer spending under Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi before the start of the Premier League season, but it appears that the North Londoners may still be struggling with the hangover after back-to-back 17th-place finishes in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
It was a particularly poor afternoon for Italy international Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham in a national record €115m transfer from Newcastle earlier this summer.
BBC Sport gave the Italy star a rating of just 4/10 for his performance on his first Premier League appearance for Tottenham, labelling it a ‘desperately poor debut’.
There was a short cameo from another Italy international in Destiny Udgoie for the final five minutes of the Brentford 3-0 Tottenham game, but his outing was too short to have any real impact on the game.
Competition from new signing Andrew Robertson may see the Italy left-back harder pressed for minutes in the Premier League this season.
