One of the players who has defined Arsenal’s amazing season so far is Ben White. The Englishman has undergone a positional change under Mikel Arteta, converting from a centre back to a right back. Although the position is unfamiliar to him, he seems to excel as a full-back, perhaps more so than his original position.
Ben White has been one of the most improved players, with many fans and pundits giving him credit for how well he’s performed in his new position, playing more attacking than he was previously accustomed to. However, there’s one player who’s just a cut above him, according to a former Arsenal striker.
Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell appeared on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel, where he had a word to say on the current Arsenal defence.
In the discussion, Campbell mentioned the fact that Ben White, as much as he had improved, was still a level below William Saliba, who’s received all the plaudits for his admirable leadership in the Gunners back-line this season.
Campbell mentioned Saliba’s size, speed and reading of the game as the three main attributes he has above White, and pinpointed these as the reasons why he’s the first name on the team-sheet at centre back, forcing White out of position.
Personally, I think this criticism is harsh. The reason why you don’t see as much from Ben White as you do from Saliba is because the two are playing in different positions now. White is much more commonly found in the final third when Arsenal have control of possession. He likes to overlap and play crosses into the box.
When White does defend, more often than not he comes out on top. Of course Saliba will received the defensive plaudits and rightly so, but Ben White is an exceptional player and performed as one of the Gunners’ best this season.
Do you think Kevin Campbell is fair or unfair in his comparison of William Saliba and Ben White?