Fortune Favors the Bold
Every now and then, you’d see academy prospects make up the bench during match days, with some even making 10-minute cameos in games. That’s the dream for all young footballers, progressing through the youth ranks for years, to finally make their first team debuts. That’s the ideal route to football’s elite, but truth be told, it isn’t always that simple. A player’s destiny is always a combination of both skill and most importantly, luck. Marcus Rashford for example, had skills in abundance but his inclusion in the starting 11 on his debut, only coincided with an injury crisis within the club. He seized the opportunity and the rest as they say, is history.
But what about the players who are less fortunate with the circumstances within the club? Alternative methods are present but the route to football’s elite wouldn’t be as ‘ideal’ as they hoped. Ben White’s unconventional rise in the football pyramids is a testament to his perseverance and a credit to the loan system in place. Released by Southampton as a teenager, White signed for Brighton and went on 3 successive loan spells across the 3 divisions below the Premier League. At the age of 22, White finally made his debut in the league. The impressive debut campaign earned him a call-up in England’s Euro squad and potentially a £50 million move to Arsenal.
A little-known fact about White is that he suffered from appendicitis as a kid and had his appendix removed at 7. He had major allergies and had to take antibiotics twice a day due to a weakened immune system. The family would carry around an EpiPen everywhere he goes. Thankfully, he has recovered well since. Having dealt with so much adversity in the past, Ben White’s unorthodox rise to the top is further proof that determination and preservation brings people to places you wouldn’t believe.
The dashboard below shows why White is highly regarded by many and the importance he brings to the Seagulls when compared to other center-backs in the league. This analysis will cover the Englishman’s performance with his club last season. All figures below are based on performance per 90 minutes played, according to StatsBomb via FBref.
The Third Center Back
Ben White primarily plays as the right-sided center back for Graham Potters and he does so superbly. As the flanking center backs, Ben White has the responsibility to cover for his more advanced wing back as they attack, whilst providing a good foundation in the team’s build-up play. Blessed with speed and technical abilities, White serves as the perfect player to operate in the outside channels where spaces are congested, whilst having a blistering recovery pace to defend a turnover.
Brighton emphasis on building up from the back has capitalized on the 23-year-old’s calmness on the ball and passing range. Out of possession, the defender is aggressive in his press, often looking to press high up the pitch to win the ball back. When Brighton transition on the right, it is a common sight to see the center back overlap his right wingback, providing himself a passing option or simply to drag markers away.
Under the tutelage of Bielsa, White was developed and molded into a more complete player, often used as a central midfielder during training sessions. He was also deployed there in a couple of their games in the Championship. Brighton have also used White as a defensive midfielder on occasions last season, though his best performances come as a center back. His role in Brighton can be akin to a right back, given the area of the pitch he covers is similar to one, albeit a little less adventurous. His versatility could prove to be very helpful to Arteta, considering the rumored departures of Bellerin and Xhaka in an already depleted squad.
Considering Arsenal build-up play in a 3–2–5 shape (often with Xhaka dropping to left sided center back to cover for Tierney), Arteta would ideally want White to be the player covering the right-back space as his third center back during build-up. Essentially, players in that position have to be quick and technically proficient, whilst providing the versatility to play as a right back, all boxes which White certainly ticks.
High Pressing Stopper
Brighton play a high line with offensive minded wing backs, which requires its center backs to be assertive. Ben White is an aggressive defender, looking to close down danger before it had even begun. Last season, White committed 6.339 pressures in the middle third and attacking third of the pitch per90, which is amongst the highest for center backs. His 4.04 successful pressures per90 shows the effectiveness of his press, regaining possession for his team immediately. Perhaps this is a trait adopted in his time at Leeds, indicative of the high pressing system employed by Bielsa. Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Pascal Strujik are amongst the others who registerd more pressures high up the pitch.
The reason why he excels in his pressing is due to his great sense of awareness and concentration. In most scenarios, he anticipates the pass and follows through with an aggressive press on the receiver. His great sense of anticipation makes him a more assertive center back, knowing when to press and when not to.
His speed is also factor, as he covers the ground swiftly to press his opponent, giving them no time to react at all. His interception numbers are also decent due to his game intelligence, accumulating 1.27 interceptions per90. Last season, Arsenal accumulated the lowest interceptions in the league with 337, and the third lowest pressures with 4685; If Arteta was to model Arsenal as a front-foot defending team who controls the spaces as well as Manchester City, Ben White would certainly be a welcoming addition.
The game against Leeds shows the front foot approach he adopts, especially when he senses danger if intervention is not heeded. Brighton were in control of the possession with Maupay dribbling through the center. He then got tackled with the ball ricochet towards the two Leeds attacker at the middle of the pitch. White immediately sensed the danger and took control of the situation by rushing upwards to intercept the ball before Bamford could. Bear in mind, if White delayed his thoughts for a second, Bamford would’ve got control of the ball, with Roberts waiting on the wing in a potential counterattack.
Weakness in Defending
Being only 6’0 ft tall, White is not a classic physical presence at the back. Aerially, he ranks amongst the worst center backs with only 1.47 headers per90. In the game against Newcastle, Ryan Fraser who is 5’4 ft tall, not only held White off but managed to win a header against him, which is quite amusing to see if I’m honest.
It is clear that he isn’t as physical as many might’ve hoped. That said, White’s game has never been about the physical duels but his ability to read the game. The Englishman possesses an excellent sense of awareness and positioning, meaning he doesn’t need to rely on his physicality to win the ball back at all times. If he was to play for Arsenal, Arteta should consider a high defensive line. This would mean the gap between defence and midfield is smaller, and a midfielder could win the aerial duels, rather than having White contest for it.
Ball Playing Defender
Perhaps the real reason White is sought after by many is due to his ability on the ball. The defender exudes a sense of calmness as he strides down the pitch with the ball from box to box. His pace alongside his ball control has makes him untouchable at times, with defenders struggling to put a foot through him as he dribbles with the ball. His ball progression abilities help the Seagulls get the entire team up the pitch, instantly creating overloads which causes teams problems. Last season, White completed 0.69 dribbles per90, which is only second to his team-mate Dan Burn (0.74 per90), who played the majority of the season as a left wingback.
Such confidence in his ability to carry the ball forward can be seen against Leeds. He picked up the ball just at the midway line and strode forward with purpose. Leeds man-oriented marking shape was distorted as they had to close White down but failed to do so. White dribbled past a couple of challenges before crossing it in the box.
White’s ability to take players on high up the pitch, drags markers away from his teammates, making them a viable passing option. This however comes another part of his weaknesses, which is decision making in the final third. Granted, this is a center back by default with no prior experience further up the pitch, but White has the tendency to run into a dead-end even when the sensible option is to pass it.
Such example can be seen in the same game against Leeds. He picked up the ball just beyond his penalty box, before bursting forward with the ball, dribbling past players like they weren’t there. As he entered Leeds’s penalty box, he took on one too many players and knocked the ball out of play. At that point, he had around 5 players marking him, and the sensible option was to pass it to his right winger.
Passing Prowess
Capable of passing with both feet, the England International is a brilliant distributor of the ball no matter the distance. He always looks to play the ball forward with his passes, progressing the play up the pitch as soon as he sees an option.
Last season, the center back accumulated 3.26 progressive passes per90 and 0.237 key passes per90, impressive numbers considering he has outshined the likes of Conor Coady, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in this regard, all center backs that are considered technically proficient on the ball, and especially shrewd with their passes.
In Brighton, his Expected Assists numbers are relatively low (0.02 per90) despite the high Shot-Creating Actions numbers (0.73 per90). Perhaps with Arsenal, the numbers would increase, as the Gunners could use his range of passing as an effective outlet to release their pacey forwards.
The pass against Liverpool perfectly illustrates the ambitious passer he is. Upon receiving the ball from Sanchez, the easier option could be to pass it short to the nearest player. White spots the run of Maupay and opted for the long ball forward. The ball suffered an unfortunate bounce in the end which favored the on-rushing Kelleher before Maupay could reach it on time. That takes nothing away from the intention and quality of the pass, and had it been Aubameyang running onto the pass, White may claim an assist.
David Luiz was essentially Arsenal’s primary distributor from deep at times. His long-range passes were often so deadly and creative, that dropping him wasn’t an option (despite his knack for a defensive mishap). It’s effective against teams who play in low blocks, denying spaces for Arsenal to progress further up the pitch. Having Luiz’s long balls can unlock defenses within a pass, especially when they have the likes of Aubameyang and Saka lurking in the wings. Now with Luiz gone, White can fill that void effectively, without the occasional defensive mistakes as well.
Is He Worth It?
Short Answer: Maybe?
Long Answer: Purchasing any defender for £50 Million can only mean two things:
1) You are PSG
2) You are desperate
Arsenal had been looking for a David Luiz replacement in multiple defenders but had been repeatedly turned down for higher prices (Tapsoba for £60 Million). White ticks all the boxes Arteta wants as a center back and is definitely an integral piece to his ideal Arsenal side. Given that he is English as well, the “English tax” had to come into play eventually, given the English quotas Premier League teams have to fulfill.
You are also talking about a 23-year-old, Premier League proven center back who is experienced through the English football pyramids. Maybe he isn’t the finished article yet and therefore is not worth £50 Million… yet. If you are one for optimism, that can be taken as a positive, as he can definitely still improve on his impressive debut season.
With all things considered, Ben White is absolutely worth the money and may even become one of England’s best center backs in the future. Brighton gave the boy a second chance in football, and he will now leave them a man, as he looks to bring Arsenal back to where they belong (4th place lol).
On a serious note, Arsenal fans should definitely see this as a step towards the right direction. A player’s price tag is never the fault of the player but just an indication of their importance to their employers. Instead of criticizing over the fee, rejoice because you have got a player in your hands.
Twitter: @chunhang7
