‘There’s no point’ – Ben White says ‘nobody goes past’ William Saliba in Arsenal training

Ben White has showered Arsenal team-mate William Saliba with praise, revealing how nobody even attempts to go past the defender in training as there is ‘no point’.

After a slow start to life at Arsenal, Saliba has established himself as one of the most highly rated centre-backs in English football over the last two years.

Both Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were named in the official 2023/24 Premier League Team of the Season and the imposing duo have picked up where they left off this term, with the Gunners boasting the second-best defensive record in the division.

However, Arsenal have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three top-flight games and Mikel Arteta’s side will be determined to put that right this weekend when they take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

‘It’s been unbelievable. I’m not sure I’ve seen two better together,’ Arsenal defender White said of Saliba and Gabriel in a conversation with Ben Foster for Amazon Prime.

‘Saliba is absolutely incredible. There’s nothing I could say that is a weakness or something that he probably needs to work on.

‘I know that everyone needs to work on something but the way he’s playing he’s still so young.

‘It’s so weird. In training, you obviously see glimpses of how good he is, but in a game it’s a completely different level and it shows.

‘He can just cruise training, nobody goes past him.

‘It’s literally like nobody even tries because they just know there’s no point.’

White went on to highlight Gabriel’s aerial threat in the opposition box, with Arsenal’s set-piece play thriving under Nicolas Jover.

‘Saliba has taken a lot of the limelight but Gabriel has been unbelievable and obviously the threat he has when he’s in the box is scary,’ White added.

‘Every time you get a corner you kind of know you’re going to score.

‘If the ball is in an alright area then it’s a goal, for sure, which is amazing.’

Eyebrows were raised when Mikel Arteta decided to drop Aaron Ramsdale for David Raya last season but White knew Arsenal had a special player ‘straight away’ in training.

‘You could see the level straight away in training. Just his aura, you know you’re safe,’ he continued.

‘Technique, unbelievable. The saves he’s been making recently… that’s like every day in training.

‘He’s been so consistent with the pressure he’s had. The technique is top.’

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