Ben White is favored for a new role at Arsenal after his performance against Manchester United and Everton.
Saturday’s game between Arsenal and Brentford could be affected by Arsenal’s loss against Everton.
While Everton thoroughly deserved their victory at Goodison Park, a number of Arsenal’s key players fell short of the standards that had allowed them to enter the weekend with a five-point advantage in the Premier League standings.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been criticized, Thomas Partey was not at his typical dominant best during his 59 minutes on the field, Granit Xhaka struggled, and Gabriel Martinelli’s performance did not go over well with some fans on social media.
Nonetheless, the Brazilian is not alone in this regard, as Ben White has also been scrutinized. The defender, who signed for £50 million in the summer of 2021, has been a revelation since moving to right-back following William Saliba’s incorporation.
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But after being pulled at halftime in the 3-2 victory over Manchester United while on a yellow card and having to deal with the in-form Marcus Rashford, another subpar performance against Everton has sparked concerns that he is beginning to decline.
Consequently, some Arsenal supporters on Twitter have speculated that White will be rested for Brentford’s weekend visit to the Emirates Stadium. For instance, @BrianKarumba3 stated, “Ben White should be benched and Tomiyasu should start,” while @NadiasonSebit concurred, “Tomiyasu’s time has come.” Ben White requires bench rest.”
Meanwhile, @eddygooner2 stated, “Arteta undervalues Tomiyasu tremendously. Ben White needs a rest,’ remarked @originalmoru. Has not been himself since the Manchester United game. Tomiyasu should start the next game,’ while @donnyomer remarked, ‘Ben White has been off form recently. Against Brentford, it appears Tomiyasu could reclaim his position.”
Should White be left out of the starting lineup against Brentford, it would be somewhat unexpected and the first time it has occurred in the Premier League this season; hence, White’s job as a replacement would be essentially new.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was last season’s unquestioned first-choice right-back when healthy and available for selection. Fortunately for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Tomiyasu has confirmed that he’s ready to step up and provide a timely reminder of his skills.
Interestingly, the Japan international’s four Premier League starts this season have come at left-back due to the performance of White on the opposite side, but he is loving the challenge: “You have to face the reality,” he told Goal last week. “Ben White has been doing really well.
“He is fantastic. Of course, I want to play from the start. The only thing I can do is prove my value on the pitch and show what I can do. I just want to help the team. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing from the start or not. When I’m on the pitch I give everything.”
