At a Glance:
- Arsenal lost 2-1 to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
- Martin Zubimendi has been heavily criticised for his performance in the defeat.
- However, another Gunners player was arguably a lot worse.
Martin Zubimendi’s performance during Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon has been heavily scrutinised, although the root cause of the loss for the Gunners may actually lie elsewhere.
Mikel Arteta’s side were exceptionally bad throughout the 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium, combining defensive fragility with offensive impotence. Junior Kroupi’s 17th-minute tap-in gave the Cherries the lead, before Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty offered Arsenal hope ten minutes before half-time.
Bournemouth then found a winner with 14 minutes left to play in the encounter, when Alex Scott slotted beyond David Raya, following intricate combination play involving Evanilson. While the North Londoners remain nine points clear of Manchester City, they’ve lost the momentum they had and their Premier League title credentials are now certainly in question.
Ben White was terrible for Arsenal against Bournemouth
Zubimendi’s display will certainly concern Arteta. The Spanish midfielder was weak against Bournemouth, struggling to deal with the Cherries’ physicality in the middle of the park, whilst also failing to progress the ball via his overly conservative passing.
He hugely limited Arsenal’s build-up, which was stodgy and limited on the day. However, on the defensive side, the Gunners arguably had a much bigger problem which damaged them significantly more than anything Zubimendi did or didn’t do.
Ben White, who was starting his third game in a row for the first time in a long while, was a consistent target for Bournemouth’s long balls. Andoni Iraola was in attendance for Arsenal’s defeat at Southampton last week, and the tactician clearly noted that this was an area of weakness for White.
The Cherries launched long ball after long ball towards White, as they tried to get one of Adrien Truffert, Marcus Tavernier or Junior Kroupi in behind the England international. This worked for the away team, while Arsenal suffered defensively down this side.
However, Bournemouth opting to target this side not only harmed Arsenal’s defensive structure but also inhibited their attacking game. White wasn’t able to get forward on the overlap very frequently, subsequently leaving Noni Madueke extremely isolated.
Arsenal desperately need Jurrien Timber back from injury, as White’s aerial and positional limitations are actively hurting the Gunners.
Ben White’s statistics vs Bournemouth
White’s numbers from this game may make him look active, but they ultimately fail to capture the sense of vulnerability his actions provoked.
Not only did he look physically exhausted throughout his 76 minutes on the pitch, but his ability to deal with Bournemouth’s elusive attackers was glaring.
| Ben White vs Bournemouth Statistics | |
| Minutes Played | 76 |
| Touches | 65 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 5 |
| Accurate Passes | 35/40 (88%) |
| Clearances | 4 |
| Defensive Contributions | 9 |
| Ground Duels Won | 4/6 (67%) |
Despite attempting 40 passes, he played just five of these into the final third. This stat reflects Arsenal’s general pragmatism in possession, although it also highlights how White’s typically smart and progressive build-up play is currently not on show in his performances.
White is linked with an exit from Arsenal, and on the basis of this performance, the Gunners would certainly be right to consider selling him.
