Ben White has gone up a level since joining Arsenal, says Graham Potter

By Sam Preston

Brighton manager Graham Potter sold England international Ben White to Arsenal in the summer and will face him on Saturday.

The Seagulls will visit the Emirates Stadium on a poor run of form and off the back of their 0-0 draw at home to Norwich last time out.

White and the Gunners are also looking to bounce back, after a hugely disappointing 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday night.

That result dealt a blow to Arsenal’s hopes of finishing inside the top four, with Tottenham taking full advantage by thumping Newcastle.

At his pre-match press conference, Potter was asked about White and said that the 24-year-old had made a big improvement this season.

“Ben has made progress, congratulations to him and the staff at Arsenal,” he said.

“He’s definitely made a step. You can see his quality and what he brings to the team.”

White has had to deal with the pressure of expectation but has contributed to the improvement in an Arsenal side which was not expected to be in such a good position as the business end of the season rolls around.

White went to Euro 2020 and has had further England call-ups since, with his form getting him into Gareth Southgate’s most recent squad.

White largely played at right-back there, showcasing his versatility and perhaps that will be needed again with the injuries Mikel Arteta has at the back.

Brighton will be trying to exploit any vulnerabilities but Arsenal have got to be confident of beating an off-colour Seagulls side at a time when every win counts.