Mikel Arteta comments on boost received from Ben White's return

Ben White didn't enjoy the cameo many projected against West Ham on Saturday afternoon.

The right-back's reception was warm from the Emirates crowd, who hadn't seen him in action since November, but the mood was hardly fervent in the north London sun as White entered the fray in the closing stages.

Instead of handing White minutes late on after the Gunners had controlled their way to a 2-0 advantage, Arteta's side were a goal and a man down to the Premier League's 16th-ranked side entering the contest. Ultimately, the Englishman's return was an afterthought.

The Gunners now have a 11 point deficit on the league leaders to make up, and many believe the title is as good as gone. However, Arsenal cannot simply give up on the 2024/25 campaign with three months of it remaining. There's still plenty to play for, and White has a big role to play down the stretch.

Ben White's return is a huge boost for Arsenal

In truth, we haven't seen the best version of White all season - certainly not the iteration who recorded a combined 15 goal contributions over the previous two Premier League campaigns. He was hindered by a nagging knee injury which eventually required surgery, and Arteta has taken a cautious stance over his re-integration.

White was involved in the not-so-transformative warm-weather training camp out in Dubai and was an unused substitute against Leicester before his late cameo on Saturday. With Jurrien Timber likely to remain in the XI on Wednesday at Nottingham Forest and Arsenal not in FA Cup action this weekend, we may have to wait a little while longer until White's back in the manager's starting lineup.

Timber has been a reliable figure in his absence, but their skill sets are different. While the Dutchman is a superior defender boasting press resistance in spades, White has a great sense of timing going forward and is a far more consistent contributor in the final third.

His return is bound to help a right-hand side which has been hindered greatly by Bukayo Saka's absence. Without White and Saka combining to great effect, captain Martin Odegaard has manifested a shadow of his most scintillating form.

Odegaard came under heavy scrutiny after Saturday's defeat, and there's no denying that he's having a poor season, but Arteta suggested White's return will aid the Nordic playmaker. Speaking ahead of Wednesday's game, the boss said (via The Athletic): “We haven’t played the right unit at all this season with him, Bukayo and Martin as well, a unit that has played so much football together.

“So it’s great to have him back, more options, his energy, the way he’s around the team, the way he generates, he certainly has been missed," he added.

With Saka not expected to return until the start of April, White's continued re-integration could begin to ignite the Gunners' leading creative force. Arsenal have been a tough watch for much of 2024/25 with Odegaard either out injured or off colour, but marauding right-back White is bound to facilitate an improvement over the coming weeks before the starboy's back.

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