Andrew Mangan and James McNicholas believe that one Arsenal star is particularly adept at unsettling opponents in matches.
Arsenal defender Ben White has caught the eye with his use of the dark arts in games.
The Gunners’ right back has undergone something of an evolution in recent weeks. With Oleksandr Zinchenko currently sidelined with an injury, the 26-year-old has been tasked with playing an inverted role.
Mikel Arteta has asked the full-back to combine his usual duties of supporting Bukayo Saka on the right flank with now also taking opportunities to drift into the middle of the park to bolster the team’s midfield strength. Somehow, the player has proven himself adept at being able to perform both jobs within a match.
Arteta has been told that he has Marcelo Bielsa to thank for the versatility that White has shown in Arsenal’s las few matches, as the iconic Argentine coach used to have the England star training as a midfielder in his time at Leeds United.
However, White’s role extends even beyond this tactical remit. He is also looked to to unsettle opposition goalkeepers whenever Arsenal have a set-piece in an attacking situation. He jostles and grapples with goalkeepers, always trying to walk that fine line between fair play and foul.
White has also captured the hearts of the Emirates Stadium faithful with his antagonistic celebrations in front of opposition players, and the occasional blatant foul used to stymie a dangerous-looking counter-attack.
Ben White hailed as Arsenal’s troublemaker-in-chief
It would probably be fair to characterise White as the kind of player who you love when he is on your team, but loathe when you come up against him.
Arsecast Extra host Andrew Mangan and journalist James McNicholas have now given their verdict on the defender’s antics.
McNicholas said of White’s more underhand actions, “he is outstanding in that field. What’s quite funny about Ben White is that he’s quite unknowable. Sort of the only thing we really know about him is that he’s a massive wind-up merchant, and that’s quite fun.”
Mangan then stated that, “you do have to have a bit of that about you as a team. You have to have some of the dark arts, some of the cynicism, some of the gamesmanship…He’s [White] like a beacon for this kind of stuff within this team.”
For obvious reasons, Arteta could never openly admit that he has ever encouraged White to break any rules or employ any dark arts. However, his actions in set-piece situations clearly show that he is putting his talent for gamesmanship to good use under specific instructions.
White’s behaviour gives this Arsenal team a different dimension. Beyond the free-flowing attacking football, they don’t shy away from the shadier aspects of the game.
White has been praised for his form in recent weeks, but he also deserves credit for the good work he does that so often, by design, goes undetected.