‘Outstanding’: BBC pundit amazed by 25-year-old Arsenal man’s display; says he had Palace player in his pocket
Garth Crooks was amazed by the performance of Ben White after Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace on Sunday, claiming to BBC Sport that Wilfried Zaha spent the majority of the game in the right-back’s pocket.
The Gunners have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a 4-1 victory over the managerless Eagles. Bukayo Saka scored twice, while Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka also got on the scoresheet.
But there were superb performances all over the pitch. And one of the very best came from White.
Crooks amazed by Ben White in Arsenal win
Arsenal fans were largely baffled when the 25-year-old missed out on the England squad this week. And based on Sunday’s display, it is not too difficult to understand why – even after his withdrawal from the World Cup ranks late last year.
White set up Saka for his first goal of the afternoon. But Crooks felt that the way he handled Zaha deserved particular praise after including the defender in his team of the week.
“This was an outstanding performance,” he told BBC Sport. “Wilfried Zaha was restricted to one moment, when his effort was pushed onto the post by Aaron Ramsdale, but that was the last we saw of him. The Ivorian spent the rest of the game in White’s pocket.
“The next thing we knew, Palace were 4-1 down and looking like a side that hadn’t just lost its manager but had lost their way.”
Every single player stepping up for Gunners
It is remarkable how the Arsenal players seem to share who takes the spotlight each week. Obviously, a couple of the players seem to step up without fail.
But no player seems to go longer than a couple of games before they produce an outstanding display. And White is one of those who often finds a way to make a real impact. It is almost easy to forget now that the former Leeds loanee is playing in what was a largely unfamiliar position before this season.
Arsenal had so much joy down their right flank against Palace. And White was at the heart of a lot of what went right for the league leaders as they cleared yet another hurdle.
