Ben White's 5 best moments for Arsenal

Fans hate the international break, so what better way to ‘celebrate’ its latest arrival than to honour a professional footballer who hates it just as much as them – that man being Mr. Ben White.  

He marked his 28th birthday on Wednesday and, in doing so, made it the fourth time he has observed the big day as an Arsenal player, having first moved to north London from Brighton back in August 2021.

Oh, how the time has flown since.

White has seen it all over the past four years: consternation among Gooners over his £50m price tag, those bitter lows which formed a hallmark of the early 2021/22 campaign, and the brilliant personal displays that saw him become a key figure in the Arsenal defence.

To honour his recent birthday, here are Ben White's best 5 moments in an Arsenal shirt

Injuries and squad competition have impacted his game time in recent years, but he remains a much-loved and respected member of the Gunners group and a return to fitness should grant him a more prominent role for the season ahead.

‘Benny Blanco’ was one of the first needle-movers for this project, and here are his top five moments in an Arsenal shirt.

Moment #5: Last-ditch tackle on James Maddison

For someone with a reputation for ‘hating’ football, White can really put his body on the line when it matters.

One such occasion came in March 2022. Arsenal found themselves 1-0 against Leicester City and had control of proceedings when James Maddison got free in the penalty box, looking destined to bring the away side level.

Until White intervened, that is.

The £50m man flung himself at Maddison’s feet and managed to get a crucial touch to take the ball off him, with those last-ditch heroics doing much to send the Gunners on their way to a clean-sheet and three crucial points.

It might seem like a minor feat, but the lunge proved his oft-doubted commitment to the cause and how Mikel Arteta has instilled a never-say-die attitude among his backline troops, something which has become a feature of this post-Wenger version of Arsenal.

If only it had earned the Gunners UCL football.   

Moment #4: The famous equaliser vs Bournemouth

Forget about top four – White made a bigger contribution at the other end to keep the Arsenal title dream alive back in 2022/23.

In March 2023, the unthinkable had occurred: the Gunners were 2-0 down to Bournemouth after 57 minutes and, despite pulling one goal back, they were staring down the barrel of a devastating (and embarrassing) defeat to relegation-threatened opponents.

But White half saved the day as he made it 2-2 just twenty minutes from the end. Reiss Nelson had escaped down the Cherries’ right flank and he teased in a brilliant cross towards the back post for an onrushing White, whose first-time shot just made it over the line before Neto (remember him?) was able to claw it back out.

Nelson, of course, grabbed all the headlines post-match but the no. 4 more than played his part and helped Arsenal claim one of the greatest wins of the Emirates era.

The less said about what followed, the better.  

Moment #3: Corner-kick antics

Arsenal hold a reputation for being corner kings, and to disrupt the opposition is a key ingredient of that success – few do it better than White.

The resident ‘wind-up merchant’ has ruffled a few feathers in London alone, including his tormenting of Guglielmo Vicario in the 3-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April 2024 (a game in which the Gunners scored twice from corners) and a physical tangle that once left Marc Cucurella lying flat on the ground.

It did come back to haunt him once, when his interference with Danny Ward saw a fantastic Leandro Trossard strike ruled out at Leicester back in 2023. But, overall, his antics serve to distract opponents (usually whilst remaining on the right side of the law) and thus give Arsenal extra hope of making any set-piece opportunities count.

Not so nice when he is against you; amazing when he is on your team.     

Moment #2: 10,000 goals and a place in Arsenal history

Even with just nine goals in 320 senior appearances across his career, White still scored the goal that grants him a spot in Arsenal folklore.

He grabbed the last in a 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United in March 2024 and, in turn, made history: it was the 10,000 goal ever scored for the Arsenal men’s first team and it came exactly a year to the date – 4th March – since White registered his very first goal for the club, that goal being the equaliser versus Bournemouth.

If that was not enough, that night also saw the Gunners become the first side ever in English League history – at all levels – to win three consecutive away matches by at least five goals, after previously beating West Ham and Burnley 6-0 and 5-0 respectively.

And the strike itself was not bad either. Kai Havertz controlled a long ball over the top before laying it off to White, whose low, driven effort (on his weaker left foot no less) flew past Ivo Grbic and into the bottom corner

The cherry on the cake, both for that night and for the Arsenal annals.

Moment #1: First-ever brace vs Chelsea

For all the reverence and historical weight of the last moment, this one earns its spot through sheer hilarity.

Arsenal were far along their astonishing, late-season blitz at this point in 2023/24 but faced a Chelsea team that would love to spoil the party. However, rather than slip on the banana skin, the home side ate their rivals for breakfast.

The modest 1-0 half-time scoreline improved after the break, with White being the man to provide a cushion just seven minutes later. But the typically goal-shy defender did not stop there and, instead, he finished off the rout with an accidental/spectacular volley which sailed straight into the top corner and secured the 5-0 win.

Even White could not keep the smile off his face.

Like the Bournemouth moment, his goals did not earn Arsenal the fairytale ending they deserved as the season culminated in a second-placed finish. Yet, the almost comic relief it provided at a time of great tension will be long remembered by the Gunners faithful.

Happy Birthday Ben!