'I love the boy': Mikel Arteta so impressed by 25-year-old Arsenal player who is always brilliant in training
Arsenal once again responded to Manchester City jumping above them in the table with a Sunday afternoon victory.
Mikel Arteta’s side only beat London rivals Chelsea by a single goal, but Arsenal looked comfortable for much of the game.
His team managed to keep a clean sheet against former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was anonymous before being substituted.
William Saliba was named man of the match and was in phenomenal form.
His partner at the back Gabriel Magalhaes also played brilliantly, and tapped in the winner from a corner in the second-half.
However, Arteta wanted to call out Ben White for praise, and said he’s been really impressed with the Englishman in training.
White has been thrown into an unfamiliar right-back position by Arteta this season, after Takihiro Tomiyasu was injured at the start of the season.
White has started every Premier League match since, and made the position his own in Arteta’s system.
Arteta impressed with White in training
The Gunners boss was asked about White after the match and said: “(I’m) really happy with him.
“I think he’s playing in different positions, and he’s accommodated himself in a great way to the full-back position.
“His understanding with the players around him is top, and I really like him.
“He always wants to be there, he trains every single day. He plays under any circumstance. I love the boy.”
He was criticised by Sky pundit Dean Ashton for a bit of play-acting in the first-half of the match yesterday.
However, he put in a typically solid performance from the right-hand side of defence.
White’s application in training has impressed Arteta, and the results are certainly paying off.
When he started the season he was a very conservative full-back, tucking in while Oleksandr Zinchenko got forward on the left.
White is now regularly seen overlapping Bukayo Saka on the right, and pops up in attacking positions all the time.
In fact, he had two chances to score in the opening minutes against Chelsea.
White will find out this week if he’s earned a spot in England’s World Cup squad.
It would be a surprise if he ended up missing out now after some fantastic recent performances.
