Pot here is a misunderstanding of the role. I think some folks keep expecting to see Lamptey or SWP out on the field. We are holding two lines of 5. White is really only going out when Saka is specifically going in and space is opening on the outside. Otherwise his job is to ensure we can continue to move the ball vertically and horizontally. If he goes out, we lose the link he provides to Saliba, Partey etc., so we can quickly rotate the ball to the centre or left if needed.
We are not a crossing team. We penetrate through the middle. We are a controlled team that keeps the ball and probes until we can create penetration around the top of the box. Arteta isn’t interested in lots of wide play because it is statistically wasteful. Even if you look at our crosses, they tend to be small cut backs versus traditional crosses. White is doing the job exactly as Arteta wants. It’s why he plays everyday.
