On Saturday, both Ben White and Eddie Nketiah could reach individual milestones when we tackle Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Ben is currently on 99 Arsenal appearances, while Eddie has racked up the same number for us in the Premier League, meaning the pair will be hoping they can both reach their respective centuries as well as claim a big three points on Saturday.
The defender has swiftly reached his total having arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2021, missing just 11 matches in all competitions during that time. He has appeared in all 16 of our fixtures this campaign too, as he continues to be a crucial cog in our side.
Mikel Arteta was keen to highlight his development over the past two seasons, having adapted to a switch from centre-back to full-back and a change in our style of play to become an influential player in our team, and in the changing room.
Speaking in his pre-Newcastle press conference, the boss said: “I think he's progressed in the right way in the last few years. He had a little bit of a difficult start, which is normal because it was a big jump with different expectations.
“He started to play in different positions, but I think he's shown a lot of determination and courage to overcome that. I think he has a big personality, I think he copes with pressure really well, he has a lot of quality, he gives us different positions and he's been a key player for us.
“He's a really good character in his own way and the way he presents himself, but he loves football. The way he trains every day, the way he applies himself is top and we need players like him.”
Meanwhile, fellow England international Eddie could become our latest Premier League centurion after Gabriel Martinelli achieved the feat against Chelsea a fortnight ago.
The striker has had to do it the hard way as he scrapped for opportunities in his first few seasons, having made his debut in the division back in March 2018, but this campaign he is on top of our league scoring charts with five strikes to his name.
Mikel was again proud when pressed on the Hale End graduate’s latest achievement. “He has earned that right [to play 100 times]. We tried to explain to him what his role is in the team and the opportunities he would have like any other player, in relation to his performance.
“The fact he has played that many games is because of his own performances, and the reasons he is giving us to trust him.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
