‘It is because…’: Tomiyasu explains real reason why one Arsenal player doesn’t pass to him

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Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has explained why fellow summer signing Ben White doesn’t pass the ball to him as often as he does to other players.

The two Arsenal new boys have settled in really well. White had a tough start to life in the red and white shirt, but Tomiyasu, since his debut, has been absolutely brilliant for the Gunners.

Aaron Ramsdale is getting all the plaudits for Arsenal’s clean-sheets record this season and rightly so. However, White, Tomiyasu and Gabriel deserve a ton of credit too, especially the Japan international, who is in his first season in England.

Tomiyasu was quizzed about the reason why White is often reluctant to pass the ball to him. Here’s what he said…

Why Ben White does not pass the ball to Tomiyasu

The Japanese defender said, as per The Daily Mail: “It is because Ben White is a good player.

“Often, passes from the centre back to the full-backs become ‘pressure passes’.

“I play centre back too, and simple passes to the full-backs are actually the last option I consider. If the full-back is not under opposition pressure I will play the pass, but if the winger is right in front, you’ll end up caught by the press.

“So, Ben White is a good player who doesn’t play passes that put you under pressure.”

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One of the biggest reasons why Arsenal spent so much money on White is his range of passing.

The Englishman has registered 721 passes in the Premier League this season, only Gabriel Magalhaes boasts a better record among Gunners players with 729. Tomiyasu, surprisingly, ranks third on the list with 645, at least 70 more than any other Arsenal player. (PremierLeague.com)

Arteta is definitely building something exciting at the Emirates, but it will be interesting to see if it all works out. They have had a topsy-turvy campaign so far, but if they can show the same form that they did during their 10-game unbeaten run, they should be able to finish the season in a respectable position.