Ben White and Nicolas Pepe are two of Arsenal’s most expensive transfers but Ian Wright’s post-match comments following their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace suggest cause for concern
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Ian Wright ‘s criticism of Arsenal duo Ben White and Nicolas Pepe has shone a damning spotlight on the club’s transfer flaws.
Pepe and White rank first and third in the list of the Gunners’ most expensive signings, costing over £120million combined.
They both featured as Mikel Arteta’s team were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace on Monday, needing a 96th-minute equaliser from Alexandre Lacazette to clinch a point after Odsonne Edouard had given Patrick Vieira ‘s side the lead.
It makes it five Premier League games unbeaten for Arsenal but their poor performance saw them come in for criticism after the final whistle had blown at the Emirates as both sides were frustrated with the result.
Wright was one critic and the legendary Gunners striker, who also played for Palace, told Premier League Productions post-match: “I think it’s a little bit of a worry for Arsenal because when you look at both goals, we’re not getting defenders to go and engage.
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“He’s [White] got to get closer to him [Edouard] and he doesn’t do it.
“They’ve done brilliantly to score the goal.
“I think he’s got to get close to him… at no stage does Ben White close that gap.
“People can say what they want, maybe the goalkeeper [Aaron Ramsdale] or whatever… at no stage does that gap get smaller so why wouldn’t you shoot?”
Wright continued by saying: “I think Palace totally capitalised, they did their homework on Arsenal, they closed down the right people and shut down the left side.
“Kieran Tierney didn’t do anything. Pepe was very disappointing again and once they scored, Arsenal did not take it to Palace.
“We’ve seen Palace come back a couple of times and there’s no way they were going to rest on their laurels.
“They were going to go for Arsenal and they did and they were unfortunate not to win today.”
England international White, who signed from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer for £50m, has had his fair share of criticism this season.
Did Arsenal overpay for White? Let us know your thoughts below.
Ex- Manchester United captain Gary Neville also believes the 23-year-old should have done better for the goal that made it 2-1 to the Eagles, with Vieira bitterly close to winning at his former club.
“In this position, Ben White just drops off, drops off, drops off. You can’t drop off like that,” Neville said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football .
“I think both centre-backs, Gabriel and Ben White, will look at those goals and think, ‘look, we’ve got to try and engage outside the box’.
“You’re better off going and giving a foul away and taking a booking outside the box than letting him come in and shoot like that. And that isn’t good defending.”
