In an exclusive interview with InstantCasinos.com, Arsenal Invincible Lauren has backed Ben White’s decision to snub England and Gareth Southgate, claiming the decision has made the defender a mentally stronger player…
England Snub Made Ben White Psychologically Stronger
Ben White has been magnificent for Arsenal this season but the defender courted controversy by deciding not to represent England at the Euros this summer. Various ex-players criticised White but Lauren took the opposing stance, believing the decision has made him stronger;
Lauren: “As a player, I like Ben White’s composure with the ball. He’s always calm, tries to make the right decision and the combination with Saka and Saliba has been great. He has a great mentality as well. When he decided to leave the national team I believe that made him a stronger man and player mentally.”
Arteta and Edu Searching For Striker with Arsenal Mentality
Arsenal have scored more goals this season than ever before in the Premier League but Lauren says Mikel Arteta is still on the lookout for a striker. But putting the ball in the net alone is not enough for the Gunners boss, who demands more from a front man;
Lauren: “It’s not enough to sign a striker who will guarantee goals, it has to be someone who fits within Arteta’s mentality. They need a high work rate, pressing the centre-backs and full-backs. You need a striker that not only scores goals, but knows how to connect with quality players like Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. I saw Arteta in the summer and he’s going to demand that. Arteta and Edu have been searching for that number nine.
“Havertz has been delivering and scoring goals in crucial games. The fact that we don’t have that number nine, in this league, doesn’t mean you’re not going to win because of it. In the long term, I believe you need someone who can help Gabriel Jesus – not because of his quality, he’s fantastic but at some stages through the season he’s gotten injured.”
Saliba and Rice Have Been Different Class During Run In
Arsenal fell away during the home stretch last season but have pushed Manchester City right to the finishing line this year. Lauren believes William Saliba avoiding injury and the £100m signing of Declan Rice have been key factors in the Gunners’ improvement;
Lauren: “Of course, it’s a huge factor [Saliba staying fit]. I talked to Saliba in the summer, you could feel it from the way he was talking. Together with Gabriel, those two have been paired for a long time and they’ve improved together. We’ve got a dominant backline and it started from those two guys, they’ve been absolutely brilliant. When we lost Saliba last year, it made a big difference.
“Declan Rice has been absolutely superb too. He makes the rest of the team shine in the way that his defensive duties have been brilliant in front of the backline and he’s box to box, so when you’ve got that kind of player – he allows Odegaard to have more freedom. He’s scoring goals, and I love to see him in the final third more often because he can shoot and attack those spaces where the strikers come to receive the ball. The understanding has been superb and he’s been a top player for Arsenal.”
