Arsenal right-back Ben White has admitted he was ‘so tired’ against Manchester City that he ‘wanted to waste time’ when he nutmegged Jeremy Doku in the last minutes.
The Gunners sealed a huge win 1-0 over the Citizens before the October international break. Nathan Ake inadvertently diverted Gabriel Martinelli’s 86th-minute attempt past Ederson for the only goal of the day. The ball smacked the centre-back in the face before finding the net.
It was Arsenal’s first win against Manchester City in a Premier League game since December 2015. The result also ended a 12-game losing streak in the fixture to see Mikel Arteta’s team share the top spot in the table. White helped the Gunners take their fourth clean sheet, too.
White silenced Foden as Arsenal beat Manchester City 1-0
White spent the afternoon effectively silencing Phil Foden with the Manchester City forward mostly unable to threaten Arsenal all match. His influence was neither here nor there during the top-of-the-table tussle. White did an excellent job to stop the 23-year-old being a threat.
Arteta would have loved the display White delivered with the 26-year-old a mainstay of the Gunners’ line-up. He has started all eight of their Premier League games so far this term and has played all 720 minutes. The Poole-born ace also played all of their 38 games last term.
Only William Saliba, who is an injury doubt for Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday, has also played for all 720 minutes of their Premier League campaign this term. But being a mainstay of Arteta’s plans took a toll on White against Manchester City with the Arsenal star’s display.
White now opens up on nutmegging Doku in the 89th minute
White has now admitted to Sky Sports that he was shattered in the final stages as Arsenal beat Manchester City. So, after Martinelli’s deflected goal gave them a lead, he only had one thing on his mind: wasting time. But Doku had other ideas as he chased a possible equaliser.
“I was so tired – I just wanted to waste a bit of time but he caught me up so quickly,” White admits. “I turned and he was right on top of me. The pass I was going to play was cut off. It just came to me, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I got rid of it as quick as I could after.”
Doku put White under pressure by the touchline with no obvious passing lanes available for the right-back. So, the Arsenal star shifted the ball onto his less-favoured left boot and cut it through Doku’s legs. But White matter-of-factly adds: “I’ve been on the other end of it, too.”
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
