Timber's Emergence Reshapes Arsenal Defence
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has made a startling observation about Arsenal's defensive hierarchy, claiming that Jurrien Timber's exceptional form has made Gunners fans completely forget about £50m teammate Ben White.
The comments came following Arsenal's emphatic 4-1 victory over Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday afternoon, a result that sent Mikel Arteta's side six points clear at the Premier League summit.
Derby Dominance Highlights Timber's Quality
Arsenal delivered a statement performance against their local rivals, with Eberechi Eze stealing the show by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the derby since the Premier League's inception. Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring at the Emirates Stadium in what proved to be a thoroughly one-sided contest.
While the attackers grabbed the headlines, Timber continued his impressive adaptation to English football with another commanding display at right-back. The Dutch international made his 12th consecutive league appearance of the campaign, largely neutralizing the threat of Wilson Odobert while contributing significantly in attack.
Timber underlined his growing importance to Arteta's system by providing the assist for Eze's second goal, giving Arsenal a dream start to the second half and effectively killing the game as a contest.
White Becomes Forgotten Man Amid Timber's Rise
Timber's rapid integration into the Arsenal setup has been so comprehensive that Ben White, once considered an automatic starter, now finds himself struggling for minutes. The England international was an unused substitute against Tottenham and has made just one Premier League appearance this season due to a combination of form, competition, and fitness issues.
Richards, speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, highlighted how dramatically the defensive landscape has changed at the Emirates. "People don't mention Ben White anymore because Timber is so exceptional," Richards stated, emphasising the depth of quality now available to Arteta.
The pundit also noted Arsenal's defensive riches beyond Timber, name-checking recent signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera alongside established stars William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Richards described the squad Arsenal has assembled as "too strong" and well-positioned for a sustained title challenge.
Arteta's description of Timber as a "total player" last month appears increasingly prescient, with the Netherlands international quickly becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet alongside cornerstone players like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
While Richards agreed with fellow pundit Alan Shearer that Manchester City remain Arsenal's most likely title challengers, he also identified Chelsea as potential outsiders, though he doubts Enzo Maresca's side will "have enough" to sustain a challenge through the entire campaign.
