‘That isn’t good’: Gary Neville criticises 24-year-old Arsenal star

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Gary Neville has told Sky Sports (broadcast on 18/10; 22:26) that Benjamin White was not good enough for the second goal that Arsenal conceded against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The Gunners ended up taking a point from their clash with the Eagles at the Emirates. However, they needed Alexandre Lacazette to smash home an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the contest.

The need for that late goal would have come as a surprise to those who watched the early stages of the game.

Arsenal flew out of the blocks. And they had taken the lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. However, Palace turned the game around after the break.

And Odsonne Edouard put the visitors in front with a thunderous effort. Aaron Ramsdale could have perhaps done better with the Frenchman’s strike hitting the back of the net quite centrally.

But Neville suggested that White needed to do more to halt Edouard, with the centre-back allowing the striker to run at him before unleashing the strike.

“In this position, Ben White just drops off, drops off, drops off. You can’t drop off like that,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think both centre-backs, Gabriel and Ben White, will look at those goals and think, ‘look, we’ve got to try and engage outside the box’. You’re better off going and giving a foul away and taking a booking outside the box than letting him come in and shoot like that.

“And that isn’t good defending.”

White did not have his best night as Arsenal battle to save point

White has shown a lot of promising signs since moving to the Emirates. His performances alongside Gabriel Magalhaes have generally been superb.

And that back five Arteta has put together appear to have a lot of potential.

But Monday was not his best night. He should have done more to prevent Edouard getting his shot away.

Having said that, he did play a key role in Arsenal’s equaliser. He was the one to drop to the penalty spot and get the shot away that ultimately found its way into the path of Lacazette.