by For someone who claims he doesn’t enjoy watching football in his spare time, Ben White is pretty good at playing it. Making his 100th Premier League appearance for Arsenal, the English rebel put in another flawless performance against his former club as Mikel Arteta’s side overcame the latest hurdle in their pursuit of the Premier League title despite a significant test of his their credentials at Brighton.
This was the kind of event that seemed set for Arsenal to fall after Manchester City’s emphatic win against Crystal Palace earlier this evening. But things are tougher on Arteta’s players these days and the result was never in doubt when Kai Havertz touched home Jorginho’s cross on the hour mark.
Related: Arsenal go on top as Saka, Havertz and Trossard sweep Brighton aside
A moment earlier, White had done nothing to ingratiate himself with the supporters who voted him player of the year in 2021 when he went to the ground theatrically after the slightest touch from Pervis Estupiñán. But while he was booed for the rest of the game whenever the ball came near him, the 26-year-old had the last laugh as Arsenal extended their record by conceding just four goals in 11 league games so far this year with another net. sheet.
Arteta insisted White received “a lot of love” from the Arsenal squad after Gareth Southgate revealed he asked not to be selected for international duty last month. The full reasons for that have yet to be revealed amid rumors of a falling out with Southgate’s assistant, Steve Holland, which the manager denied. But on this evidence there is no doubt that England’s chances this summer would only improve with his presence in the squad.
It is a measure of White’s durability that he has missed just seven of Arsenal’s Premier League games since his £50m signing from Brighton in the summer of 2021. Marcelo Bielsa used him mainly in midfield on loan at Leeds in the Championship during the previous campaigns, he Graham Potter was usually deployed at centre-back as Brighton finished 16th in the one season he appeared for the club that gave him a chance when he was released by Southampton as a teenager.
Confirmation that he was voted Brighton’s player of the year came on the same day White made his first England start against Romania, before going on to become an unused member of Southgate’s squad at the last Euros. It is not known whether Declan Rice has followed through on his promise to discuss a possible return to the international set-up but the England manager would certainly love to be able to select a player who Arteta described as “training as he plays in League One the champions. final”.
His partnership with Bukayo Saka since he moved to right-back at the start of last season was instrumental in Arsenal’s progress and White was instrumental in setting up the England forward for a golden opportunity which he blasted just wide of the goal in first. half. The same cannot be said for the left-back, where Oleksandr Zinchenko was preferred to Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu, having made his first start in two months against Luton in midweek after recovering from a calf injury . The former Manchester City player is not always the most defensive and Brighton seemed to be targeting his team in the first half – perhaps a good idea when White is the other option. Simon Adingra twice left Zinchenko in the dust and fired just wide of the target inside the opening 20 minutes, prompting Arteta to whisper a quiet word in his ear as if to remind him of his defensive responsibilities.
Arsenal seemed to be there for the taking. But the newfound resilience of this maturing team helped them weather the Brighton storm with flying colours. Arsenal suddenly found themselves in front when Saka headed home from the spot after Tariq Lamptey could not resist the temptation to dive at Gabriel Jesus on the edge of the box, even if replays showed the Ghanaian defender had made the most contact. less with the ball. .
Some silky skills from White inside his own area during stoppage time in the first half set the stage for a brilliant break down the field which almost ended in the second goal. He was less influential in the second half as Arsenal pulled in for a clean sheet and it was Zinchenko’s side who scored the second goal.
Arteta may decide to upgrade his left-back in the summer depending on how they finish the season, and Tomiyasu’s arrival with 18 minutes to play was an indication that they were closing up shop. Brighton seemed unable to replicate the intensity of their first-half performance, and seeing another former player add a third when Leandro Trossard’s run through on goal four minutes from time prompted a roar from the home fans.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi will still be inspired by the way his team progressed against one of the best teams in Europe. For Arsenal, whose fans serenaded White at the big whistle with the same song that used to be reserved for a certain Ian Wright, the tests will get only more difficult, starting with Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
