Mikel Arteta has revealed why he has replaced Ben White with Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back as Arsenal gear up to face Manchester City. The England international has been central to the Gunners' success this season despite operating in a foreign position.
White, who is a centre-half by trade, has flourished on the right hand side for the north Londoners, facilitating the excellent form of Bukayo Saka ahead of him. He's featured 21 times for Arsenal in the Premier League this season while keeping nine clean sheets.
With a game in hand, the Gunners head into the clash three points clear of Pep Guardiola's side. And, in what could be a title-defining fixture, Arteta has opted for Tomiyasu instead of White.
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The Japan international is set to come up against Jack Grealish — not to mention Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan as well, who will also look to receive the ball in pockets of space on his flank. With Tomiyasu given the responsibility of suppressing some of City's most dangerous players, Arsenal supporters have questioned why White hasn't been preferred.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Video, Arteta said: "Tomi deserves the chance as well because you need to be very adaptable in this game and Tomi has this quality, so we’ll give him a chance."
Speaking to talkSPORT last year, White labelled the Arsenal boss as one of the best head coaches in the man-management department. He said: "The detail the gaffer goes into is completely different to what I’ve come across before.
"The way he demands you to do stuff and the way he says stuff and the detail he goes into is really important and it’s helping me massively. I’ve had a few managers and I’d say his man-management is the best I’ve been under.
"Every player is different and needs different things, and he definitely understands that. He’s a top manager and it’s showing – we’re getting the results now."
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