Arsenal defender Ben White has hailed Bukayo Saka and claimed the winger makes him look much better than he actually is.
The Gunners’ right-hand side last season was phenomenal. Saka and White formed an outstanding partnership, and they tormented the opposition on multiple occasions.
White deserves a lot of praise for his performances last season, but he thinks Saka is the reason why he looked so good at right-back.
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What has Ben White said about Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka?
Arsenal signed Ben White from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2021 for £50 million.
There were a lot of eyebrows raised about the fee at the time, with Gary Neville famously having a go at the defender after his debut on the opening day of the campaign against Brentford.
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White has since come a long, long way. He was arguably the best right-back in the Premier League last season, and we’re convinced he’ll be even better this term.
The Englishman sat down for a chat with ESPN UK this week and he was asked about his partnership with his good pal Saka on the right flank.
White raved about him.
He said: “Working with B is quite easy. I don’t think you have to be too good of a player to play behind him.
“There’s always situations where I stitch him up and he gets out of it ’cause he’s so good, making me look so much better than I am.
“He’s obviously phenomenal and my job is to help him be the best and show what he can do on a game day. So I’ll be doing some extra runs for him or whatever I can to make him glow and do the best he can.”
The Insider’s View:
Saka is definitely a phenomenal player, but White’s being a bit too modest here.
The 24-year-old is a fantastic defender. His performances at right-back – which isn’t his natural position – have been sensational, and he was arguably the best in the country in that role last season.
White’s understanding of the game has helped Saka out massively. He knows exactly when to overlap and when to offer himself on the inside, and that makes us so dangerous in attack.
Arsenal take on Manchester City in the Community Shield tomorrow, and we expect both Saka and White to start on the right side. If they have a good game, we should be able to come away with a win.