Ben White did something ‘mental’ at Arsenal in 2022, now he may have to do it again vs Real Madrid

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Arsenal take on Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The Gunners were always going into that clash as the underdogs, but their chances of victory have taken a bigger hit in recent days.

Arsenal confirmed that Gabriel Magalhaes will be ruled out for the rest of this season because his hamstring injury requires surgery.

That significantly weakens the Gunners, and Arsenal fans are all worried about seeing Jakub Kiwior start against Real Madrid.

There could, however, be another solution.

Ben White should repeat what he did in 2022 to save Arsenal against Real Madrid

Arsenal signed Ben White from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2021.

The Englishman played most of his debut campaign as a centre-half, but Mikel Arteta slowly transitioned him to right-back, where he was the best in the Premier League last season.

Towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Arsenal were fighting for a place in the top four with their fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and they had to get a win against Newcastle United.

Arsenal ended up losing that fixture and missed out on the Champions League, but Rob Holding later revealed what Ben White did in that game, which was ‘mental’.

He said on Tea With Timbsy: “You know who’s the best for that, in terms of having real discomfort and injuries and just cracking on? Ben White. I don’t know how he does it.

“I remember when we played Newcastle away in the Amazon year (2021-22), he would have had a grade two, grade three injury, like his hamstring was shot to hell, and he went out there and played, because he’s just like this mentality monster.

“I don’t know he does it, it’s mental, he would just like have so much pain, then he will just trigger into game mode and play. He’s die-hard; he’d run through a brick wall for you.”

It’s never fair to ask a player to play through an injury, but with Gabriel out for the biggest game of Arsenal’s season, White may have to step in and save the Gunners.

What Arsenal players and Mikel Arteta think about Ben White speaks volumes

White is absolutely adored by Arsenal fans.

The 27-year-old is a phenomenal footballer, and some of his antics on the pitch have made him a favourite among the Gunners’ fan base.

What sets him apart is that White has shown he can play through pain without any trouble, which is why he has been hailed by many of his teammates and his manager.

Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli branded White as a ‘warrior’ when he signed his new contract at Arsenal.

Even Arteta claimed that White would run through a brick wall for Arsenal, which says everything you need to know about him.

White injured his knee during the international break, but if anyone can overcome that and deliver on short notice, it’s him. We hope he can do it against Real Madrid on Tuesday.