Morning.
There’s just one place to begin this morning, and that’s the very fact Ben White has signed a brand new contract with the membership. It’s not a shock, it’s been within the works for a while, and it’s simply reward for the standard and consistency of his performances. Mikel Arteta says:
Ben is a key participant for us, a high skilled with a profitable mentality, and one of many guys who leads by instance day-after-day. Ben’s capability, dedication and constructive angle are so essential, however he’s additionally a terrific character and human being. All of us stay up for proceed working with Ben within the coming years.
Whereas lovely Benjamin himself, his golden thighs casting a heat glow to the contract signing room at London Colney, mentioned:
I’m so pleased – it’s been an extended journey, and superb to signal once more and be right here for extra years. I’ve mentioned earlier than I wouldn’t wish to be wherever else, so it’s good.
Arsenal’s contract administration hasn’t all the time been good, it’s truthful to say, however with this mixture of a settled setting and a extremely aggressive workforce, we’ve discovered it a lot simpler to safe the futures of our high gamers. Ben White comes after Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Martin Odegaard dedicated to new phrases, and there’s a type of snowball impact in play too. While you see these guys make it clear Arsenal is the place to be for them, why would you even take into account going some place else?
I’m, as I’ve made clear greater than as soon as, an enormous fan of Ben White. Like most individuals, I raised an eyebrow after we paid £50m for him again in the summertime of 2021, however the price-tag is principally an afterthought now. Regardless that, on that troublesome first evening with that sport in opposition to Brentford, the knives had been out right away from excessive profile pundits who actually ought to know higher.
His growth as the most effective right-backs within the Premier League has been one thing of a shock, however I believe you may put him in wherever and get at the very least 7/10 from him. He’s simply such a strong participant. You recognize what you’re going to get him with him. Consistency, reliability, and a will to win that’s, maybe, at odds with how folks understand him. The conflation between his lack of curiosity in soccer outdoors of his job and a scarcity of seriousness about what he does misses the purpose fully. You simply have to observe him play to know that, and if he doesn’t conform to the ‘norms’ about how most followers take into consideration soccer, that’s a difficulty for them, and never him.
Individuals usually discuss the Arsenal trio of William Saliba, Gabriel and Declan Rice as a type of platform for what we do – and that’s clearly true. Nonetheless, I believe in some methods it does Ben White a disservice. Take a look at the appearances and minutes this season:
William Saliba – 39 appearances, 3422 minutes
Gabriel – 40 appearances, 3282 minutes
Declan Rice – 39 appearances, 3261 minutes
Ben White – 39 appearances, 3048 minutes
That trio is superb, however after we speak about them, it ought to be a quartet. Ben White is the fourth musketeer, our dashing defensive D’Artagnan. With accidents to Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu this season, he has carried the right-back burden on his personal, with just some scant minutes off after we’ve smashed one other workforce by 5 – 6, and there’s no hazard in placing on somebody like Cedric.
As for the remaining, you all realize it already. An excellent footballer, somebody who can mix each attacking menace and defensive solidity with the type of energy and stamina that may make oxen jealous. He can rating, he’s banging out the assists in the mean time, and he combines it with a type of distinctive character within the fashionable sport. The post-match interviews, the shit-housing, the sly grin, the japes he has along with his teammates and the opposition, it’s not possible to not love him.
As for the England stuff, The Athletic have a great explainer right here (£). I believe he’s fairly pleased to not be concerned, and that basically ought to be so far as it goes. In fact Gareth Southgate is aware of why, and everybody is aware of Gareth Southgate is aware of, however finally it’s to Arsenal’s profit. As Saka and Rice go away for extra minutes, Ben White will keep behind, high up his tan, and be recent and prepared for our sport in opposition to Man Metropolis. I don’t assume the England supervisor did him any favours along with his feedback, but it surely’s storm in a teacup stuff actually, and my suspicion is it barely registers on Ben White’s give-a-shit-ometer.
So, nice information – and right here’s to many profitable years forward for him and for Arsenal.
The opposite factor immediately is the Champions League draw, which takes place at one thing o’clock after what is going to really feel like hours of inane, tedious bullshit from UEFA. It’s an open draw, so we’ll get one from Barcelona, Actual Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manch115ter Metropolis, Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid. I’m ABC right here, anybody however Metropolis, and I’d most likely like considered one of Bayern or Barcelona, simply to have that revenge narrative occurring after the ache they’ve inflicted upon us through the years. Which isn’t to take something as a right, however we owe them, and I believe that’s throughout the capabilities of this workforce.
Let’s see what occurs, we’ll convey the draw over on Arseblog Information, and we’ll have a post-draw podcast for you in some unspecified time in the future too.
For now, have a terrific Friday.
