Arsenal have one of the best players in the league but he might need to stay on the bench
Gary Neville thinks Jurrien Timber is the best right-back in the Premier League.
He said it plainly after Sunday’s win against Chelsea, and he isn’t wrong. Timber is an exceptional footballer and when fit, one of the first names on the Arsenal teamsheet.
But Neville said it as a caveat after bringing up a fascinating point about the right side of Arsenal’s attack.
“There is something that Odegaard, Ben White and Saka have,” he said, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast. “I’m going back in time to Ashley Cole, Pires and Henry — that three on that left hand side of the pitch for Arsenal against me. It’s the best three on a side that I’ve ever faced. Absolutely exceptional.
“There is a bit of that clockwork element to Odegaard, Saka and White. And actually even Havertz went over in this first half and played with them.
“I just feel like Ben White does run forward really well. In a more predictable way than Timber, Ben White makes those overlaps. And what that does, it takes people, which opens up that space for Odegaard a little bit more.”
“And that’s no disrespect to Timber because I think he’s the best in the league as a fullback.”
Mikel Arteta’s right-back dilemma
Not many would’ve predicted this being an actual conversation three games into the Premier League season. But Ben White may well have played himself into being Arsenal’s first-choice right-back again.
Defensively, Timber is unquestionably the better option. He’s more disciplined, more reliable, and harder to get past. If Arsenal are protecting a lead or facing a dangerous opponent, Timber at right-back makes them harder to beat.
But the connection White has with Saka and Odegaard down Arsenal’s right side is producing scintillating football. Havertz too, as Neville points out, even drifted over in the first half against Chelsea to join that combination, and the goal came directly from that right-side overload, with Havertz cutting inside to finish.
Timber has been easing back into training from his groin injury and it’s unclear when exactly he’ll be back for selection. But when he is, there’s no guarantee he walks straight back in. Arteta has to decide whether he starts the best right-back in the league, or do you start the right-back who makes your best players better?
It’s a brilliant problem to have, and Arteta has built a squad so good that there are multiple of these kinds of dilemmas across the pitch.
But is there an argument that Timber might actually be more valuable coming off the bench? Bringing his defensive solidity when Arsenal need to close games out, while White provides the attacking connection in the first half.
Timber’s amazing. But right now, White, Saka and Odegaard are re-establishing that special connection they built between 2022 and 2024. Arteta will be reluctant to disrupt that.
