Ben White has acknowledged the presence of an Arsenal teammate whom he prefers to steer clear of during training due to their intense approach.
Additionally, he has addressed the critiques directed at the team for their exuberant celebrations.
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White has played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s quest for the Premier League title, participating in nearly all of the team’s league matches this season.
Despite his calm exterior, the 26-year-old defender, who transitioned from Brighton to Arsenal in 2021, is known for his competitive spirit.
This was evident in a recent game where he seemed to push the limits of sportsmanship in an attempt to have his ex-teammate Pervis Estupinan dismissed from the game.
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s training sessions are famously rigorous and competitive. White has mentioned that players must exercise intelligence to avoid causing injuries to one another during these high-stakes practices.
‘I think we all have an understanding,’ White told Arsenal’s official website. ‘I play against Gabriel Martinelli every day in training for example, and to be honest I don’t want to go too near to him most of the time, but at the same time we have to keep it competitive.
‘But you know there is a line, and it’s the same for everyone. We all come up against the same people each day, and there’s like an unwritten rule that you don’t go in too hard for a 50-50 or something like that. You can save those for the weekend!
‘Every day me and Martinelli have a one v one battle, but then as soon as the session is over our relationship is so good. You do your best and give everything when you are training, but you need to look after each other too, you have to be clever.’
Gabriel Martinelli has faced his share of challenges with injuries since joining Arsenal, yet he has emerged as a vital contributor under Arteta’s leadership this season, much like Ben White.
White, who stirred up some debate by withdrawing from international play, has also addressed the commentary regarding Arsenal’s enthusiastic victory celebrations.
Commentators such as Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, and Roy Keane have pointed out that Arsenal may be excessively jubilant following their triumphs.
However, White contends that their celebrations are merely an expression of the squad’s ambition to secure the Premier League title, a feat they haven’t achieved in two decades.
With only seven matches left, Arteta’s team is at the pinnacle of the league, on par with Liverpool and just a single point ahead of the reigning champions, Manchester City.
‘Yeah, that’s natural for us,’ White said when asked about Arsenal’s celebrations. ‘It matters so much to us. And also we’re getting closer to the end of the season, when every game, every goal is so important.
‘You see what it means to us when we score. We are all happy for whoever it is who has scored, because we are all trying to achieve the same thing.
‘That’s with the fans as well. I can definitely feel that togetherness with our supporters, and we love to share those big moments with them.
‘We need them behind us even more at this stage of the season, and the atmosphere has been crazily good lately at the Emirates. They give us the belief as well when we need it – like that half-time against Brentford for example – and we can feed off each other.
‘We need their support to lift us and give us energy, and hopefully they are seeing how much it means to us, and how together we are on the pitch too.’
