Gary Neville has admitted that one Arsenal star has proven him wrong with his performances this season.
Arsenal will have a keen eye on tonight’s clash between Tottenham and Manchester City after leapfrogging the champions back to the top of the Premier League table on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side picked up a rare win at Old Trafford thanks to Leandro Trossard’s effort and are now relying on City to drop points in their final two games.
The Gunners have been near-flawless since the turn of the year, barring a surprise home defeat to Aston Villa last month.
With the best defensive record in the Premier League, it should be no surprise to see the likes of Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in the conversation for Team of the Season.
Now, Gary Neville has explained why he’s opted for White over Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in his XI.
Neville names White in Premier League Team of the Season
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville admitted that he was unsure about White’s ability to play as a right-back.
But the Manchester United legend feels the Englishman has proven him wrong this season, claiming White has performed at a similar level to former Chelsea stars Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic.
“It was either Ben White or Trent Alexander-Arnold (at right-back).” Neville said. “But I just felt with the way that Arsenal defended… I wasn’t sure about White [previously] – he fell in between, is he half a right-back and half a centre-back? That was my view of Ben White.
“I wasn’t sure what he was, but he has developed into a really, really good right-back. I think of him now as the same sort of quality this season – for one season – of how Ivanovic and Azpilicueta were for Chelsea for many years. I think he has done really well there and he deserves to be in.”
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White’s stats for Arsenal this season
White has formed part of a formidable backline at Arsenal this season, with Arteta’s men conceding just 28 goals in 37 games.
The 26-year-old has helped them keep 18 clean sheets in the league while also providing quality in the final third.
Indeed, the £50 million man has scored four times and registered five assists from right-back in all competitions.
White has also reportedly played through an injury this season, making his performances all the more impressive.
Arteta raised eyebrows when he moved White out to right-back at the start of last season. But the former Brighton man has developed into one of the best in the league in his new position.
