"He wasn’t comfortable" - Mikel Arteta explains why Arsenal star was left out of squad in 3-1 win over Burnley

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shed light on the absence of Ben White in the side's recent 3-1 triumph over Burnley. This decision stemmed from the discomfort White experienced during training, as revealed by Arteta in a post-match discussion with Football London.

On the field, Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock, but Burnley's Josh Brownhill equalized, setting the stage for what might have been a concern for the Gunners. However, Arteta's men fought back well, as William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko found the net off corners, clinching a 3-1 victory.

Arteta revealed that the medical team spotted a lingering issue over the past weeks, leading to the precautionary exclusion. He told Football London (via HITC):

“Yesterday in training he wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t look right. But Ben won’t give you much. He always wants to be on the pitch and he wants to hide anything that is in there. But we highlighted something happening there that we noticed in the last two weeks as well."

Arteta continued, noting that the Gunners were keen to avoid further injury woes by keeping him from playing:

"We wanted to protect him today. It was the right call from the physios and the medical department and tomorrow we will assess him and understand what’s happening."

Currently grappling with the absence of several key players like Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, and Eddie Nketiah, Arsenal are navigating through a challenging phase.

---

Arteta's composed response to VAR after Arsenal's latest victory

In a match that could have easily brewed another controversy, Mikel Arteta chose restraint after Arsenal's 3-1 victory against Burnley, despite a red card for Fabio Vieira. The midfielder was dismissed late in the game at Emirates Stadium for a rash tackle on Josh Brownhill.

It was notably a moment that could have sparked a different reaction from Arteta, given recent events. The manager, known for his passionate outbursts, recently faced scrutiny for criticizing officials after Arsenal's contentious 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.

He was particularly vocal about Anthony Gordon's goal, which he described as "embarrassing" and a "disgrace". This came after VAR upheld the goal despite what had seemed to be an apparent foul by Newcastle's Joelinton.

However, Arteta refrained from igniting another VAR debate, acknowledging that the VAR decision on Vieira was correct. His stance was likely influenced by the clear nature of the offence and Arsenal winning all three points.