Arsenal made it to the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup as they got the better of Leeds United and one of the best players on the pitch was Ben White.
The former Brighton and Hove Albion man has been in great form since the end of the international break. His calmness on the ball has allowed the Gunners to have better build-up as his range of passing opens up the game to lead to scoring opportunities.
On Tuesday, the north Londoners won 2-0 thanks to goals from Calum Chambers and Eddie Nketiah. Chambers came on for White in the 54th minute as the defender seemed to be in some discomfort. Thankfully this was nothing to worry about as manager Mikel Arteta confirmed:
“There’s a bug going around. Ben had it for the last day or two. He wasn’t feeling great, so we decided to take him off.”
Until then, the defender was imperious as he strolled around the pitch with confidence and often dribbled himself out of danger. And when called upon, the Englishman was quick to show his defensive acumen by snuffing out any attack that was developing. Arsenal fans were full of praise for the summer arrival. Here are some of the best reactions:
Awesome talent who is getting more and more comfortable. Not many CBs who look like this on the ball.
— Yohan (@YohanBrohan) October 26, 2021
He’s world class. The way he’s been playing lately is amazing. He will help us to win the league this season. Or even a cup. He’s up there with van diyk. The ways he’s played tonight against an elite side in Leeds shows he’s world class.
— . (@1983_k1) October 26, 2021
He’s world class. The way he’s been playing lately is amazing. He will help us to win the league this season. Or even a cup. He’s up there with van diyk. The ways he’s played tonight against an elite side in Leeds shows he’s world class.
— . (@1983_k1) October 26, 2021
He’s been amazing. Even in the Man City game he didn’t make a mistake at all. World class he is.
— . (@1983_k1) October 26, 2021
Some people are trying their hardest to make him out to be average cause of who’s he was signed by. 🥱
— Bhavs (@bhavss14) October 26, 2021
The kid was ill and he still managed to be our best player on the pitch for 60min 😭
— Pierre-Travis Aubascott (@auballondor) October 26, 2021
Arsenal Fever View:
There were a lot of eyebrows raised when Arsenal spent so much money to bring in Ben White. He wasn’t too impressive on his debut against Brentford where Ivan Toney got the better of him, particularly in the air. But to be fair to the England centre-back, this is a striker that has rattled some top-class defenders so far.
In the system that the north Londoners play, the centre-back has an important role in setting the tempo. David Luiz used to do that, but the Englishman brings another layer of mobility to his excellent passing.
As the manager said, the substitution was nothing to worry about so, White should be fit in time for the game against Leicester City. The Gunners are currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak. Beating the Foxes is not going to be easy but if they do so, it would be a hugely significant victory for both player and club.
Read More: Arsenal 3-1 Aston Villa: Four talking points from the game
