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ESPN pundit thinks £50m Arsenal star is set for unexpected role after what he spotted in warm-ups vs Man City
Arsenal were seconds away from pulling off a magnificent win over Manchester City on Sunday evening, but they couldn’t quite hold on.
Mikel Arteta will be delighted with his side’s performance against the Citizens as they had to go half the game without Leandro Trossard.
Michael Oliver gave Trossard his marching orders f💦or kicking the ball away, which caused plenty of controversy.
Dermot Gal♏lagher stated that Trossard can have no complaints about his sending-off, though some Ar🧸senal fans won’t share the same views as there are an🧜 awful lot of inconsistent calls being made.
Declan Rice was sent off against Bright♏on prior to the🦋 international break for kicking the ball away, so the player෴s should know by now.
Interestingly, there was one of Arteta’s go-to men on the💙 substi𒈔tutes’ bench for the Manchester City clash, and Julien Laurens thinks he’s spotted something…
Julien Laurens thinks £50m Arsenal star’s role has now changed
Arsenal went behind at the Etihad thanks to yet another goal from Erling Haaland, but goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes turned things around.
John Stones’ late equaliser stole two points away from Arsenal and caused a frenzy on the field, with Haaland throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head and plen🌠ty of players coming toget♓her at the full-time whistle.
However, 💦ESPN pundit Julien Laurens spotted something in the warm-ups before the game that🍸 suggested something interesting to him.
When speaking on ESPN UK, the pundit claimed that Mikel Arteta thinks Jurrien Timber will be the new right-back for Arsenal mov🎃ing forw🍌ard.
Laurens was asked about Arteta’s decision to drop Ben White.
“No, I didn’t see this one coming, I won’t lie. I think White hasn’t been good in the last two games, the 𓄧Spurs game and the Brighton game.
“Andꦓ I think there was a big, big desire from Arteta to see Calafiori and Timber did well against Spurs and I think Timber at right-back makes sense, he’s right footed.
“And Calafiori at left-back,🍌 even if he was a bit naive for the first g൩oal and a mistake he made, but he made up for it with a wonderful goal.
“But I think this was the idea very much a♏nd I wouldn’t be surprised if this back four now, Timber, Calafiori, Gabriel and Saliba, is the one going forward for Leicester at the weekend, for the Champions League game against PSG as well.
“Arsenal was warming up at some point with Timberꦇ, Gabriel and Saliba warmed up the three of them on the same line with Calafiori slightly ahead of them like if Calafiori was stepping up from left back into mid🎐field.
“And they did that drill for like a good five minutes you know passing the ball, doing the triangle 💖with Califiori then playing long and then starting again and again and again and again.
“So I wonder if in Arteta’s mind Calafiori is the one a bit like Zinchenko used to do coming inside and Timber staying a little bit more as a💝 third centre-back, which you’re right would be maybe a bit more surprising than if it was White.”
An unexpected new bench role for Ben White at Arsenal
Ben White, who is valued at £50 million, had played 90 minutes in every Premier League game and the one Ch🌳ampions Leagu𓄧e game prior to this weekend’s draw with Manchester City.
Arteta opted for Jurrien Timber at the right-back position but he and Riccardo Calafiori were substituted early, which was due to t🔜hem not having played 90 minutes inꩵ this context.
Interestingly, Mikel Arteta stated that he wanted💃 to protect Be⛦n White, and that’s why he didn’t start against Manchester City, due to the defender starting every match this 🐟season.
It remains to be seen whether that’s the truth or ജwhether he hasꦑ had a change of heart and sees Timber as a better all-round option at right-back.