Mikel Arteta explained that benching Ben White for yesterday’s match against Manchester City was a precaution to protect the player.
After nursing his knee through the closing months of last season, the full-back, without the distraction of international responsibilities, had ample time to recover in the summer. However, after a busy start to the new campaign that included five consecutive starts, his manager clearly felt the time had come to give the full-back a breather.
In his place, the manager selected Jurrien Timber at right-back with Riccardo Calafiori taking over from the Dutchman at left-back. As a result of Leandro Trossard’s red card, White’s spell on the bench was limited to 45 minutes at which point he was called upon to help with the Gunners rearguard action. He seemed to come through things unscathed.
In his post-game press conference, the manager was asked about the decision to rotate.
He said: “I spoke to Ben yesterday, I wanted to protect him and he’s not going to ever tell you that he’s not fit.
“He will run through a brick wall for you and the intention was to try not to use him today, but we had to and I’m very grateful because he performed very well.”
Arsenal will spend today recovering at London Colney before turning attention to Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Bolton at the Emirates.
It’ll be interesting to see what team the Spaniard opts to field against League One opponents with rotational options limited.
After yesterday’s draw, footage emerged of goalkeeper David Raya wearing a bandage on his knee and limping to the team bus. With second-choice keeper Neto cup-tied after featuring for Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, the Gunners may have to lean on a teenager if they don’t want to risk fielding Raya.
David Raya leaves Etihad Stadium ‘limping’ and with a bandage on his leg 😬
This does not look good for Arsenal fans… 🤕 pic.twitter.com/0Recz92jLJ
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) September 22, 2024
The absence of summer arrival Tommy Setford from the last three travelling squads suggests the 18-year-old – who is considered the third-choice stopper – might be nursing an injury. In his place 16-year-old Jack Porter has been training with the first team ahead of the likes of Lucas Nygaard and Alexei Rojas.
As far as we’re aware, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu won’t be fit and the same goes for Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard. Having been on the fringes of things so far, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Jakub Kiwior will fancy their chances of game time, as will youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Could they have bandaged Raya up and told him to limp to quieten down some of the “use of dark arts” talk
Raya never went down and the club won’t give two f**ks what anyone else thinks 😂
I’m so frustrated by the way the “dark arts” conversation is framed in regards to Arsenal. For years we were mocked and criticised for having a purist approach to football that was about creating art and beautiful football. But now we are much more savvy. So you’d expect the same sort of compliments that City get and that Chelsea, Hull, Burnley… used to get. That old “He knows exactly what he’s doing there. Great gamesmanship from (insert cunt here)”. Instead this happens… Martinelli gets a double booking in one passage of play They change the rules about protecting goalkeepers after… Read more »
City complaining about anyone cheating in any capacity is rich. Chalk it up to a tantrum by a bunch of spoiled players who are used to everything being handed to them.
Its almost beyond belief isn’t it? That group of “the best in the world” throwing a massive collective tantrum after being handed all the advantage they were in that game. But then that’s just what cheats and narcissists do.
What did they expect us to do? Carry on playing as if we still had 11 players in the pitch and just let them win.
This stuff is honestly the straw that breaks the camels back for me. Every agrument framed by every pundit against Arsenal and the lauding of Manch115ter – it just shows how bent it is. Literally in the game before Rodri’s injury the commentator on NBC (the stream I watched because I sure as shit ain’t paying for this) was praising Manch115ter for having the “uncanny knack of replacing players that seem unreplacable [Fernandinho] with even better players”…115 reasons explain that knack you fuck stain. Every pundit stating how Arsenal can have no complaints, yet Pedro, Doku, Szosbalai (the latter on… Read more »
Remind me who booked Martinelli twice in one passage of play?
They fear us and are trying influence future games. The slowing down tactics, tactical fouls all the other ‘dark arts’ come from Pep himself.
“Bernardo Silva also put the boot into Arsenal’s tactics and used the way Liverpool have played against them to taunt Arteta’s side.
“The difference? I don’t know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven’t.”
Please Kai, take care of this shithole next time!
I genuinely think this was a post-Wenger issue, linked to our success with a broadly foreign team when it wasn’t fashionable in the eyes of the media or ex pros. That cascades down to how opposition treated us (bad tackles/broken legs), and poor discourse between club and referees (we want protection/refs are biased). In short, we were first, so get treated the worst.
If you use “dark arts” in scrabble you get 115 points!
How many Tommy Setfords do we have?
The whole Set(ford)
plus the Setford Wives
Apologies, meant to type Jack Porter. Updated!
Bolton is currently 18th in League One. The fewer recognizable faces on the pitch for Arsenal, the better. The usual starters need some rest after the last week, and before the next wave of important matches.
It’s going to be very interesting to see what team that Arteta puts out against Bolton. The big guns all need a rest but it’s important that we take this competition seriously.
This is a great opportunity for the likes of Nwaneri and Sterling to get some game time. And the reserve keeper needs a run-out too.
Bolton are rubbish and even our reserves should see them off.
Is it important that we take that competition seriously? I’m not sure tbh. Have the feeling there is much more to lose than to win. Even if you‘re coming through the first rounds with a relatively young team, as soon as you reach 1/4 final stages you‘ll probably play your strongest 11 again and these games take place around the turn of the year where the games come thick and fast anyway. Would give this competition to the young and fringe players and see how far they get. But I’m not sure if I’d go all in to win it… Read more »
We need to win something.
We abso-fkg-lutely need to win something, else what are we doing here? Enough of the self-pitying world is against us bs and fkn man up and win everything we are competing in!
We have to win something big!
We are the Arsenal and should want to win every competition we are in. Not wanting to win is for smaller clubs with no ambition (Spurs).
Jay Jay Okocha still playing for them? I lost track of them since that time, lol.
If it rains then El Haj Diouf is still there.
But also a chance of Carra in the Commentary box
Is anyone else enjoying listening to the City players bleating away, about us, to the press (Haaland, Silva et al)? It’s great to know that Arsenal get right under their skin. The team walk away, from that game, with their heads held high.
Absolutely rattled
Their tears are refreshing
My blood was starting to boil reading what Silva said post-match, until I realised he was only talking such nonsense because he was that rattled, and then I smiled the smirkiest of smiles. True story.
They are rattled. They celebrated a home draw (11 vs 10 for 53 minutes, 4 days rest vs 3) like they won PL, the WC and the Grand National all rolled into one. Oasis freaks.
Forgot all about the Celebration Police. Have they ruled on City’s actions yet?
No, but they have fined Arsenal for not celebrating enough.
Seriously these Arsenal coming away from the Etihad disappointed at a draw which City celebrated wildly is a scenario they have no prior template for.
Not just them, but their fanbase of ten year olds are throwing tantrums all over comments sections.
In addition to pundits, all of them against us.
Roy Keane:
“If I was on a yellow card, you try not to give the referee the chance to give you another yellow. He’s given him the perfect opportunity…it’s the height of stupidity..”
Wikipedia:
“Keane also jointly holds the record for the most red cards received in English football, being dismissed a total of 13 times in his career.”
Roy Keane is a clown. An absolute embarrassment to Ireland in the 2002 World Cup being sent home in disgrace before a ball was even kicked. Paid to be “provocative”, reduced to being the type of tv football character he despised when he played the game.
Wouldn’t be supprised if it was more about getting better 1v1 defenders on to counter their wingers. Timber was fantastic defending Doku.
It’s much easier to face the Belgian Victor Moses than going against Savinho, to be fair.
Doku is also absolutely useless. Yeah he can look scary dribbling, but he has absolutely zero end product. Honestly wouldn’t say he’s drastically better than an Antony or similar, particularly given the quality of the team he plays in. Reminds me of Aaron Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillps.
(This isn’t to undermine Timber by the way, the guy is an absolute beast. Reminds me a bit of Lauren in some ways but with massively upgraded footballing ability)
Can you imagine the level of City squealing if Benny Blanco had played LOL
Arteta spared Ederson a gentle hand holding
These injuries are all on television scheduling, advertiser demands, and greedy international federations.
I’m still so angry about yesterday, and hearing that nothing will happen to Haaland for throwing the ball at Gabby has just compounded it. If an Arsenal player did that he would be banned so long his grandchildren would still be missing games. Fuck Man City. I have never wished injury on any player before, but I hope Rodri’s knee has exploded into a billion pieces, and that Haaland is finally murdered by the terrified villagers that live near his cave.
He’s likely to have that hgh use catch up to him and his heart soon enough. Nobody puts on three hat sizes and grows ten inches in the span of two years when they’re over 18.
Guardiola lashed out at his poor chair in anger in front of tens 9f millions of watching eyes… but nary a squeak about that.
But every single rival fan and some dunce pundits are making Arteta out to be an evil dictator. The things I have seen, heard, and read these last 24 hours are crazy.
I just don’t get it. When Liverpool were challenging them, all the pundits and neutrals were backing them. But everyone seems to genuinely despise us. We’re up against a boring team built exclusively through rampant cheating, but somehow we’re the bad guys.
Did you see the fucking ogre at the final whistle?! The shit he was saying to Arteta, then to G.Jesus. Truly pathetic. Imagine being that bad of a loser when your team hasn’t even actually lost. Shows what he’s like when it isn’t all his own way. Twat.
This my take on it. I do see Arteta starting Cala and Timber this season more often than not over Benny. He did not splash out 50 odd million for nothing. I believe he looked around to see if he could find anyone who could substantially improve our attack and get us over the line, found no one. So, I guess he went on to invest further in an already formidable defence. A smart calculated move. This in my opinion, it honestly looks like a Ramsdale, Smith Rowe situation for White. Although I sincerely hope White doesn’t leave the club… Read more »
You think white is less of a player than timber? Really? Ben White is a fkn rock in our team and this is nowhere near being a “Ramsdale /ESR” situation. Fuck me he’s the best RB in the country ffs. Enough of the growing “white is now useless” narrative that is brewing in here. Fkn ridiculous.
I never said Ben White is a less of player. I just said it looks that way. Don’t be surprised when Arteta picks Timber/Cala over Ben White. Not picking him in the starting 11 against Man City of all teams should be enough of a signal for us to see what is to come I believe. I am not going to buy into Mikel’s media narratives unfortunately.
I mean, I remember me being this triggered the first time Arteta dropped Ramsdale for Raya.
White is not getting dropped. We need to have a squad of equal standards not just a first 11. White virtually played every game last season. He needs rest and rotation if we are to go the whole distance in all competitions.
Normally would look forward to this type of match to see more of the youngsters and players that haven’t played much so far this season (like Sterling), but can’t come at a worse time with the number of injuries we have at the moment. Certainly don’t want to see Timber play midweek with the three matches in 8 days he had last week and Saka certainly shouldn’t be risked. Trossard of course should play the full 90 since he will miss the weekend game, but beyond the two youngsters, Kiwior, Calafiori, Sterling, Jesus, Jorginho and Trossard starting and playing most… Read more »
Trossard cannot play. Will miss this game due to the red card he got against city and one-game ban. He’ll be back for the weekend premier league match.
This is a genuine question. Why is everyone so sure Trossard’s second yellow was for kicking the ball away? Watching it live and then on a second viewing, it seemed plain that the yellow was shown for the way Trossard barged into the City player, with excessive force. That’s what Jon Champion and Graeme Lesaux on the NBC feed thought as well. Le Saux thought it was a little soft, but only because of the other tackles in the half that Oliver had allowed; otherwise, he thought it was well within the range of tackles that are cautioned. Everyone I… Read more »
It was confirmed on the official PL Match Centre twitter account:
“The referee issued a second yellow card to Leandro Trossard for delaying the restart.”
Yeah, I learned that it was “official.” That’s amazing for two reasons. First, it is just fucking ridiculous. Second, they had a chance to say it was for the foul which–even if you think it was soft, or certainly soft compared to other things that went unpunished–is at least arguable. But they actually chose to say it was for the ridiculous reason, knowing it would stir even more controversy.
Either way, it was not even close to what Haaland did on Saliba in the first half which was basically assault from a much larger thug. Add to that Diaz elbow on Havertz face, which would have been a second yellow in the second half – surprise, surprise…no yellow. So, there is no excuse if you want to go down the road that it was a foul as there is no consistency. Kicking the ball away (what we have been told)? See Doku, Pedro, Szosbalai (on a yellow), who are all permitted to disrupt restarts without caution. There is no… Read more »
The Premier League, with the current state of refereeing and coverage (pundit naratives etc.), is a shit product.
I deliberately decided not to watch yesterday’s game as I knew I’d likely be frustrated and angry up to the point where it’s just not worth it. I’m slightly amused by myself as well that I can get so worked up about a game of football, but it’s all those ref incosistencies and injustices I just can’t tolerate.
And I’m really sad I pass up on the best iteration of the Arsenal in many years because of this.
I agree with much of what you are saying, but I did check the timing of the red card. The six minutes of added time was announced at 45:00 and Gabriel’s goal came immediately *after*. There was a celebration and a silly VAR check, and the subsequent kick off was delayed a full two minutes. So that part is a non-issue.
Truth is, it was likely a combination of both. Which is why Tross needs to take criticism. He’s on a yellow. I can absolutely see a scenario where the ref sees the first challenge and thinks “i’ll leave it ”, then immediately sees the ball fly and thinks “…and you’re off”.
But Diaz, on a yellow is permitted to smack Havertz in the face with his Elbow with total impunity. Shouldn’t he have to dance the same level of caution? Szosbalai kicking the ball away on a yellow for Liverpool?
While I would have blamed Troussad I found it a bit difficult in the circumstances. Hello has challenged for the ball and with Martineli free just ahead of him if he can get the ball over to him he just went to slip the ball to him. In reality if you watch the game back you will see that the referee has barely stopped the whistle when he kicked the ball.
It was confirmed from the conversations with the officials that it is for kicking away the ball and delaying a restart even though no City Player was even trying to restart the the game. However whatever it is for, either for the foul or kicking the ball away it’s terrible because City players committed worse without any kind of sanction whatsoever. Doku kicked the ball away from Rice who was all set to take a free kick when Kovacic handled the ball in the City half. Hello kicked the ball well into the Arsenal half. And of course Halland barged… Read more »
……………..Raya
Heaven…Kiwior…Cala…Myles
………………Jorgi
…………Ethan……Rice
Sterling…..Jesus…..Martinelli
Now we are seeing clips from after the game including haaland speaking to arteta. Gabby says some things to Haaland and arteta gets in between, but then Ben white appears with dead eyes. Arteta quickly says Ben Ben gabby gabby Ben…
Rotate. Rotate. Rinse. Repeat.
Be humble he said! Coming from him, that entitled, swollen-headed, pony-tailed coward who throws balls at the back of defenders’ heads and rams into midfielders from restarts.
And what a bunch of whiners… 3 of our players who ‘went down’ had to be subbed. And Arteta’s not crazy to sub off Timber and Cala when they’ve had a smashing game. And Raya, the fourth player who ‘went down’ left their ground in a bandage and limping.
Can’t wait to thrash them at the Emirates. And then be humble.