Michael Owen has hailed the partnership between Bukayo Saka and Ben White for Arsenal and how it is ‘important’ for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title-chasing side.
The former England star added that Ben White, who moved from centre-back to right-back this season, is an ‘underrated’ figure in this thriving Arsenal side.
The 25-year-old has been outstanding this season for the Gunners, although, despite his form, he hasn’t been called up by England ahead of their upcoming international fixtures.
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, White left England’s camp early, with claims that he had a falling out with Gareth Southgate’s assistant, Steve Holland.
Whilst none of this has been confirmed by White himself or England, given his exclusion, you have to think that there is some truth in this somewhere.
Nonetheless, what is England’s loss will be Arsenal’s gain because their star right-back reduces his chances of returning from the international break injured, with Michael Owen bigging up the player, as he told Premier League Productions (19/03/23 at 4:10 pm).
“Very good (the partnership between White and Saka),” said Owen. “That combination play on that right-hand side, Ben White and Saka, is a very important one for Arsenal.
“White gets forward. He links play a lot of the time. He has got the pace as well to get back – I feel he is a bit of an underrated player for Arsenal.”
TOMIYASU INJURY
Last season, Takehiro Tomiyasu was the main right-back for Arsenal, but during this campaign, the Japan star has played a back-up role to White.
But after Arsenal were dumped out of the Europa League by Sporting Lisbon on penalties, Mikel Arteta spoke about his ‘concern’ at Tomiyasu’s injury.
Well, those fear have become reality because it has now been confirmed by Arsenal that Tomiyasu is out for the rest of the season with an injury to his right knee, as the club posted on their official website.
In other news, Michael Owen makes Player of the Year claim for Erling Haaland & Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka
