Year: 2023

Ben White played a key part in Arsenal’s impressive display against Liverpool at Anfield (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal defender Ben White has hailed the influence centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel are having on the Gunners’ season.

The form of the pair has helped Arsenal to the top of the table with the joint-best defensive record and although they did not manage to keep out Liverpool, with whom they share the record, the security they offered gave the visitors the confidence to take a positive approach in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Anfield.

A week ago a struggling Manchester United side left Liverpool with a point after a dour defensive display in which the home side had 34 attempts on goal.

By contrast Arsenal restricted Liverpool to 13, the same as they had themselves.

‘They are unbelievable together. They are so strong and powerful. They make it easier for everyone around them,’ White said of the centre-back pair.

“They just don’t do too much wrong, do they? They are so consistent every game.

‘No one is dominating them speed-wise or strength-wise. It’s hard for strikers to come up against and find anything positive to come out of the game.’

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Arsenal also benefited from their willingness to take the game to Liverpool, who had won 11 in a row at home before the United draw.

‘I think when you come here it’s so, so tough and to come away with a point is probably a positive,’ added White.

‘That’s what we have got now, we are such a positive team. We wanted to come here and win, and I think you see that from our performance.’

Gabriel scored Arsenal’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Anfield (Picture; Getty)

Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, insisted his team had passed a significant test at Anfield, particularly given the way the collapsed in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Arsenal manager said: ‘There were a few players missing last year. Big ones for us, who are really important.

‘Especially, when you have to play this type of game that they propose and you cannot get away from that type of game because they are really good at doing that.

‘But then in the last 20 minutes I think that the team was very willing to win it and they were really dominant and really wanted to go and get the three points.

‘We have the experience of being where we are today and we should be really happy because that shows a lot of consistency for this new group in the best league in the world to be there two years in a row but that’s it.

‘We are where we want to be right now, both in the Premier League and the Champions League and we all deserve a beautiful dinner tomorrow with our families but the next day we are back on it because West Ham is going to be very, very tough again.’

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Holly Willoughby is reportedly delaying her Dancing On Ice decision (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock)

Holly Willoughby is reportedly delaying her Dancing On Ice decision until after celebrating Christmas with her family.

The former This Morning presenter, 42, quit the ITV daytime programme after 14 years earlier this year, saying that it was ‘a difficult goodbye’.

She has yet to confirm whether she’ll be returning to Dancing On Ice, with recent reports suggesting Stephen Mulhern has replaced Phillip Schofield on the show.

Schofield, 61, quit This Morning and resigned from ITV in full after admitting his ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair, with his replacement yet to be confirmed.

Holly was said to be ‘in a right state’ over the major decision of returning to the competition, which is due to start in just weeks, with the line-up already having been announced.

A source has now claimed that Holly is ‘not rushing to make a decision and is putting it to the side for now to enjoy the festive period with her children.’

The insider added to The Sun: ‘Holly is expected to make her decision in the new year.’

Holly has been keeping a low profile in recent weeks (Picture: Joe Maher/WireImage)

She quit This Morning just weeks after Phillip Schofield (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

It had earlier been claimed that the mum-of-three faced ‘the toughest decision’ over continuing the role, and that, if she chose to quit it now, it may spark the end of her live broadcasting days.

An insider previously told the publication: ‘With what Holly has been faced with in the past few months, that is a hard commitment to make. She’s worried, she’s terrified and it is absolutely awful for her.’

Holly has yet to speak out about whether she’ll return to other presenting roles, after she was seen for the first time since her This Morning exit.

She left weeks after Schofield, after it was revealed she was the planned victim of an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her, and has since been keeping an extremely low profile.

A new Dancing On Ice host has yet to be officially confirmed (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock)

It’s been said the star is ‘not in a good place’ as she reels from the alleged kidnap plot, with security officer Gavin Plumb, 36, recently pleading not guilty to the charges.

The defendant is accused of encouraging a third party to travel to the UK to carry out the alleged offences, and was allegedly found in possession of ‘weapons’ and had made a ‘restraint kit’.

He has a trial date fixed for June 24 next year and has been denied bail.

Metro.co.uk has approached Holly’s reps for comment.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV, and Dancing On Ice returns in 2024.

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