A fit Ben White will have trouble dislodging Jurrien Timber from the Arsenal right back spot

Just Arsenal News

·2 décembre 2024

A fit Ben White will have trouble dislodging Jurrien Timber from the Arsenal right back spot

Arsenal continue to prove their post-November international break form was not due to sheer luck but to their quality and desire to salvage their league campaign.

Before the break, Arsenal hadn’t won in 4 straight league games (2 draws and 2 losses). But they proved their intentions of bouncing back with a 3-0 win over a resurgent Nottingham Forest. They then beat the most in-form European side, Sporting CP, 5-1.

Vidéos OneFootball

The 5-2 win over West Ham Saturday was just a confirmation that they’re back; they’ve regained their ruthlessness and haven’t just been lucky.

That said, to improve Arsenal’s performance and achieve better results, some Gunners needed to step up, and Jurrien Timber has just done that.

Over the November break, news broke that Ben White had undergone surgery to solve a persistent injury, and he was going to be out for a while. Given White’s absence and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s continued absence, it was incumbent upon Timber to assume the right back position.

The Dutch defender has massively stepped up. His performances against Nottingham Forest, Sporting CP, and West Ham on Saturday have just oozed class. It’s really exciting to realize that he is only 23 years old, and he can still develop further. Despite this, he excels in almost every area and maintains a minimum standard for everything he does.

Jurrien Timber of Arsenal crosses the ball under pressure from Tomas Soucek of West Ham . (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

As Arsenal beat their City rivals West Ham 5-2, the ex-Ajax man won more duels (7) and won more fouls (3) than any other Gunner. He might just be a defender, but in that game nobody completed more take-ons (2) than him, and it is also worth noting that only Bukayo Saka with 9 had more touches in the opposition box for Arsenal than him with 5.

Because of his versatility and ability to impact the game at any time, Timber is a player Arsenal needs to build around. He has the ability to sprint, carry, dribble, pass, scrap, and perform any other action that provides the team with an advantage.

One would worry about the injuries we seem to have picked up, but if Timber, Martin Ødegaard, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, and Riccardo Calafiori can stay fit, there’s nothing stopping this Arsenal team.

And poor Ben White may return to fitness only to spend a long spell on the bench…

Darren N

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