Ben White wants revenge when Arsenal play Aston Villa on Saturday after a brace of damaging defeats to Unai Emery’s side last season.
While December’s 1-0 loss at Villa Park was frustrating, particularly because a late equaliser was ruled out, the 2-0 defeat at the Emirates in April proved to be a real gut punch for the Gunners’ title chances.
Not only did late goals by Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins end Arsenal’s 11-game unbeaten streak, in one fell swoop the Villans handed the title race momentum to Manchester City.
It was a season-defining moment, one White hasn’t forgotten, even if other dropped points earlier in the campaign were also costly.
“We need to put that right and get that result this time,” he told Arsenal.com. “I’m sure we’ll do that and prepare well for it.
“They’re all big games, no matter who you play against. The points you drop anywhere in the season, you can put it back to that. There are games that we drew that we should’ve won and they’re two points that we should pick up.
“It’s always a tough game when you get there [Villa Park]. There are a lot of duels, it’s very aggressive. They’re very quick and want to play on the counter, so we’ve got to be ready for that.”
Both sides won on the opening weekend with Villa picking up a 2-1 win at West Ham and the Gunners easing past Wolves 2-0.
For White, who had a lengthy summer break before being recalled for a pre-pre-season training camp in Marbella, victory was the result of solid preparation on the training ground.
“It was an amazing start for us to win and get back into the flow of things, starting where we left off last season,” he added.
“It’s always tough in the first game. You’re seeing where you are, the level you’ve been training at, and playing a game gives you the reassurance that you’re doing the right thing.
“We’re not worried about anyone else, what they’re doing, or sending messages. We’ve got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and reach higher levels as a team. If we play the way we can, we’ll beat anyone.”
While we’re sure the Arsenal players don’t need any extra motivation coming into Saturday’s clash, the fact Villa’s social media team decided to bring up December’s home win over the Gunners as part of a recent meme won’t have gone unnoticed at the Emirates.
Nobody will remember:
– Your salary
– How “busy you were”
– How many hours you workedPeople will remember:
– John McGinn's goal last time we played Arsenal at Villa Park
– The limbs in the Holte End 😍 pic.twitter.com/581aeTfzst— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 20, 2024
Let’s have the goodliest of ebenings on Saturday.
A good bictory for bindication.
Let them see the Whites of our eyes.
I’m really building up a healthy loathing of Villa. I used to quite like them. They are kinda my local team (even though I grew up an hour from Birmingham). But loads of my buddies support them. But they are just behaving like such dicks at the moment. No humility. No respect. Just sneery twats who think they are suddenly the best club in world football. The gloves are off baby. These guys need a stone cold fucking. Not just a scrappy 2-1. A serious “this is arsenal and this is you” sort of fucking. I hope we deliver them… Read more »
I’m with you on this 100%. They’re in bed with the same corrupt organizations as City and Chelsea.
All I hear from them is “haha. we cost you the title”.
And I’m like, yeah, you did. But so did Fulham. So did West Ham. So did Newcastle. So did any fucking team we dropped points to.
Fuckers.
A club that has cheated the rules for over a decade without penalty cost us the last two league titles. Every team loses, every team struggles with form during the season, but one team has financially doped themselves to the point that these certainties, like the rules and fair play, do not apply to them.
They sound like Sp*rs fans… At least they know their place as also-ran losers, whose only role is disruption.
How is costing Arsenal the title a source of pride?
Oh and have they explained why Emery omitted Watkins, McGinn, Martinez and basically every top level player they had when they played City at home, and then they all played again next week? They should be investigated for collusion, the slimy fuckers.
Them basically throwing that game was so fucked up, and nobody seemed to give a shit. Even if it was just Emery wanting to fuck us over, it was still so obviously wrong. Can you imagine if it had been Liverpool challenging City for the title instead of us, and Arteta had done what Emery did. Richard Keys would have thrown his own shit at the camera. The whole thing stunk. It’s not like City really needed a 116th unfair advantage.
Frankly I don’t understand how you would rather have City win than Arsenal. Cheating club vs non-cheating club. Oh let’s side with the cheating club. The fuck is up with people. How and why do they hate Arsenal so much.
Yeah you fucked us over, is that equivalent of a trophy for you guys now?
I look forward to 4 going in on them Saturday and them not making it out of the group stage of CL. The Newcastle of this year…
Because it’s a #memeworld. That’s all people care about, being “cool” on socials and upvotes.
Being the favorite of the ceremonial head of the fa and also the heir to the clown throne also probably a soft factor. But yes, they’re horrible entitled pricks.
If everyone else on your team is a normal decent person, and you have Emi Martinez in goal, your average level of unlikeability reaches Chelsea levels.
Emery can do one too. I’m done with all of this polite Dracula reminiscing. The guy failed at Arsenal, lost the dressing room, got sacked and now he treats the arsenal game as a cup final to prove to everyone what a great manager he is.
He is a mid sized club manager, nothing more. He and Emi can do one together.
I have the same feeling that I had for the Newcastle game after being robbed by var. still cannot believe they didn’t give us free kick for the foul on Gabriel. We came out on fire and went 4-0 up playing some superb football. I have that feeling that we are gonna do the same to Dick Emery and his carry on team.
This is the attitude.
Let’s stuff these cnuts.
All Arsenal needs to recall is the spirit of Robert Pires at Villa Park in the double-winning 2001-2002 season
When Ben speaks…….
Listen
“It’s Benjamin”
We lost at home to them because of chasing most of the game against Bayern a few days earlier.
We were winning that and threw it away with a few dodgy defensive lapses.
Those are the moments that cannot happen if you want to beat City in this league.
To have had enough in the tank to beat Villa would have landed the title.
Merino is done, being widely reported.
I’m getting 0-3 vibes for Saturday 🙂
A hat trick of emi own goals to celebrate his new contract (betting it’s on reduced terms with increased incentives to help them skirt ffp)
good for a chuckle
Scum club!! Time to get revenge 👍
Use the fuel Arsenal! Let’s doooo this!!!!!
With every passing week, my loathing for these mputhy upstarts grows. Time to slap them back into their rightful place. Feckers.
Took me a while to decipher “mputhy”. At first I thought it was a Belgian footballer of Zairean descent. Now I realise it was just “mouthy”.
So yeah! Feckers!
I love the rage I’m seeing in this comment section… If our players are this mad too then we’re definitely turning up at Villa Park! COYG!!!
Huge stretch of games coming up that could determine our season. We have to prove we can beat Villa and if we can do so on the road to start the season will be a launching point for the rest of the season.
My manager can tell you exactly what my salary was, how busy I was, and how many hours I worked. But he has no idea who John McGinn is and he doesn’t give a flying fuck about Aston Villa.