They don’t get the headlines, but they deserve our attention

Saka, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang and Ramsdale seem to be capturing most of the Arsenal headlines and talk show chatter these days, but there are a couple of Gunners that should never, ever be over looked. I’m talking about Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

One year ago, Ben White was playing for Brighton and Hove, while Tomiyasu was toiling away at Bologna in Serie A. Neither guy was really on any of our radars, however, the Arsenal scouting department was obviously doing their homework and saw the potential in both. Now, whoever made those observations should be given a raise, since both players have made significant contributions to the Gunners run of ten unbeaten matches.

Let’s start with Ben White. The English defender has made nine appearances in a Gunners shirt this season. After a somewhat dismal performance in the season opener at Brentford, White has emerged to form a strong and cohesive partnership with Gabriel in front of Aaron Ramsdale. The club has eight clean sheets so far this season with White contributing to most of those.

What I really like about the Englishman is his ability to get the ball forward. He’s not afraid to put his head down and drive the ball into the final third, either with a pass or with the ball at his feet. This is something we haven’t seen since the days of Laurent Koscielny. I love that, since it provides one more offensive threat for the opponent’s defense to worry about. Not only that, White has the pace to get back on defense, where he has also excelled in the Arsenal third.

Ben White should be on the England National team this month. Right now, he is better than Harry McGuire, who is still living off his Leicester City reputation. Surely White will get his chance soon enough, hopefully, in time for the World Cup next year.

During the summer, I was very concerned about who would be our right fullback this season. Hector Bellerin was done and dusted at Arsenal. Cedric Soares really just a a good back-up, and Calum Chambers just doesn’t have the athleticism to get this particular job done on a regular basis. So, in steps Takehiro Tomiyasu. According to anyone who know anything, Tomi was headed to Tottenham, however the player chose Arsenal at the last minute. So, here he is, and we are so grateful he made the right choice.

There is just something special about the way the Japanese fullback plays. He seems to be everywhere, yet never out of position. He hustles, he tackles, he presses, he goes after loose balls, and he has a deft right foot for passing. I no longer think about Bellerin and his pace, because now we have Tomi to run the right side of the pitch on match days. I hope his relationship with Arsenal continues for a very long time, because I really think he has the potential to become not only a fan favorite, but an Arsenal legend.

Let’s hope he returns from Japan fit and healthy, and ready to open his scoring account v Liverpool on November 20th!

Cheers.

Gunner1953