Arsenal defender Ben White got away with one on Saturday.
The Gunners edged out Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor but it was almost a different story for Mikel Arteta’s side.
That’s because the North Londoners had a penalty awarded against them after a foul but, after a VAR check, the decision was reversed.
But that situation stemmed from a very loose pass from the £50 million Arsenal defender to his goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
It wasn’t a penalty and the decision was correct, but that doesn’t absolve White of some very questionable defending.
And Paul Merson, speaking on Sky Sports, summed up the 23-year-old defender in three words.
He said: “Ben White was still a little bit shaky, Jeff. He goes to pass the ball back to Ramsdale and it’s well short.”
Little bit shaky
That’s as good a description of White as any.
He became Arsenal’s most expensive defender of all time this past summer and moments of silliness like this shouldn’t be acceptable.
Composure is very much part of his game, and one of the reasons why the Gunners spent £50 million on him.
But there’s also such a thing as being too composed, too cool, and that’s ultimately what White was guilty of against the Clarets.
A lot of Arsenal fans still don’t know what to make of the former Brighton man.
But with Tottenham travelling across North London next weekend, he could become a hero if he does the business against the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
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