Mikel Arteta reviews Arsenal’s resounding win over Lens
Mikel Arteta’s pursuit of two high-quality Arsenal players in each position comes with its benefits as well as its drawbacks. Intense competition between Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White on the right side of defence has presented the Gunners boss with a tough selection call, and signs suggest that White is at risk of being frozen out.
The 26-year-old, who signed in a £50million deal from Brighton back in 2021, has not played a full 90 minutes since November 8. Arteta revealed earlier this month that White had been nursing a minor injury and playing through the pain.
His brief absence from the starting XI has given Tomiyasu an opportunity to make his mark, and he has grasped it with both hands. The Japan international put on a superb attacking display against Lens on Wednesday night, providing two assists from right-back in a 6-0 thrashing.
Bombing forward was previously viewed as one of Tomiyasu’s weak points, but it is clear that Arteta has been working with the defender to improve that aspect of his game at the club’s London Colney training complex.
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Arteta has made no secret of his admiration for the 25-year-old, saying in September: “We don’t have another player like him. At defending, he’s probably one of the best that I’ve seen in many situations. If physically, Tomi is at his best, we’re going to have a player that is so important for us.”
And reports indicate that he may soon be rewarded with a new long-term contract. Tomiyasu’s versatility saw him deployed at left-back earlier this campaign, leaving room for White on the opposite flank. But the return of Oleksandr Zinchenko has forced Arteta to make a call between the two right-sided hopefuls.
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And Tomiyasu’s superb showing against Lens, coupled with Arteta’s high praise, will be tough for White to stomach as he bids to fight his way back into the starting XI. The England international can also play at centre-back or in defensive midfield, but the quality of Arsenal’s squad is such that he could be destined for a spot on the bench over the festive period.
Arteta’s man-management skills would be pushed to their limits as a result, with White showing across more than 100 Arsenal appearances that he is worthy of first-team football.
Both players will be gunning for the starting berth on Saturday when Wolves travel to the Emirates Stadium for an intriguing Premier League contest.
“I think he was excellent,” Arteta said of Tomiyasu after taking him off at half-time against Lens. “He’s played a lot of minutes and we have a really congested period. We are really short at the back at the moment and we had to use the squad and make some changes, give some rest and give some minutes to all the players.”
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