The 28-year-old is into his sixth season with the Gunners after signing from Brighton for £50 million in July 2021.
Injuries and competition for places have meant he has not always been a regular starter, but he is approaching 200 games for the club.
White has been firmly in the starting XI so far this season as Jurrien Timber has been out injured and his impressive partnership with Bukayo Saka on the right flank has been on show again.
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The six-cap England international has taken on plenty of huge names while playing at right-back and in the middle of defence and it is a Three Lions teammate who stands out as his most difficult opponent.
Speaking to Men In Blazers, White said of the toughest attacker to mark in the Premier League: ‘I’d probably still go with [Marcus] Rashford, I think he’s the toughest I’ve played against.’
It is high praise for Rashford, who is back in the Red Devils side after a year away on loan at Barcelona.
Marcus Rashford is back in the Manchester United team this season (Picture: Shutterstock)
The 28-year-old, who scored for England at the World Cup over the summer, is yet to add to his Premier League goal or assist tally this season, but appears to have reintegrated into the Manchester United squad under Michael Carrick.
Rashford came off the bench against Hull City on the opening weekend of the season but then started the win over Ipswich Town and the draw with Everton on Sunday.
Looking to his own teammates, White also had praise for Riccardo Calafiori, who has had a brilliant start to the season with Arsenal.
Nominally playing at left-back, the Italy international is proving to be impactful all over the pitch, popping up in unexpected positions and adding threat going forward.
Riccardo Calafiori has made a brilliant start to the season with Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)
Calafiori has already provided two Premier League assists this campaign and scored in the Community Shield win over Manchester City.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn recently named the Italian as the toughest defender he has come up against in the Premier League, so he really is ticking all boxes for Mikel Arteta.
Speaking on Stick to Football, the Villa skipper said: ‘Do you know who really surprised me? Calafiori. Calafiori and Luke Shaw would be my two hardest opponents.
‘Luke Shaw because I needed to completely adapt my game with Luke Shaw. Because we’re of similar build. He’s one I had to completely try and adapt [to].
Riccardo Calafiori is growing more and more in stature at Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Calafiori was much stronger than I thought, I was really impressed with him.’
White said of his impressive teammate: ‘He can do everything really so it’s tough to stop everything that he does.
‘If one thing’s not working for him he’s got other tools to be successful, so it’s really hard to keep him down really.’
While trailing to Morgan Rogers’ early volley, Gabriel was perhaps fortunate not to see red after kicking Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the head during a scramble in the box.
The referee’s view was obstructed by several players and VAR did not intervene, much to the surprise of Manchester United legends Scholes and Nicky Butt.
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‘He should have been sent off,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘I missed it at first but it should be a red card. He’s gone miles over the bar.’
After podcast host Paddy McGuinness suggested Gabriel routinely ‘gets away with murder’, Scholes responded: ‘He does, yeah.
‘You get some players like that. Like, say me or Nicky made a foul, we got booked. Then there’s other players who can make ten fouls a game and nothing happens.
Gabriel after Arsenal’s win over Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
‘They get up and go to the referee, “oh, I’m sorry”. Do you know what I mean? They get away with it when other players don’t, and he’s one of them, isn’t he?’
Fellow former England midfielder Butt added: ‘It was ridiculous. If they don’t think that’s a sending off then there’s no point of having VAR. I don’t understand it.’
Analysing the incident on BBC’s Match of the Day, Rooney said: ‘You don’t really see it at first sight but then when you see a replay and they slow it down…
‘Martinez has got the ball in his hands and Gabriel boots him in the head, he swings a leg and goes way over the top. He’s extremely lucky to stay on the pitch.’
Former England defender Ashley Young added: ‘I agree. When the ball is on the floor and Martinez has it, Gabriel kicks so high.
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‘I’m not sure why it hasn’t gone to VAR of if they’ve properly studied it because he’s nowhere the ball. He’s got away with one there.’
Mikel Arteta’s side have made a flawless start to their title defence, beating Coventry City, Aston Villa and Chelsea in their first three games.
Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea thanks to goals from ex-Blue Kai Havertz and Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard.
‘It wasn’t the right start but we certainly reacted in an amazing way,’ Arteta said in his post-match interview. ‘I enjoyed the way we competed; we took risks, it was a joy to watch and an incredible game.
‘They have a great coach who can set them up in great condition. With the quality they have, you feel they can create something out of nothing at any moment.
‘We constrained them well. Overall, it was an incredible performance from our side.’
Europe’s premier competition gets up and running this week and the stage is set for what promises to be a compelling tournament, which will be decided at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium in nine months’ time.
Luis Enrique’s all-conquering Paris Saint-Germain side enter as the holders after finally bringing their curse to a halt with victories in each of the last two tournaments.
Last year’s runners-up, Arsenal, meanwhile, are still yet to get their hands on the prestigious prize and will hope to have ended that hoodoo at long last come next June.
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Domestically, the Gunners have started out in convincing fashion, winning the Community Shield before sweeping aside Coventry City, Aston Villa and Chelsea to claim top spot in the Premier League alongside Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s men, the reigning English champions, kick off their group-stage campaign on Wednesday night away to Serie A giants Napoli, where Massimiliano Allegri will be looking to put a first dent in the north Londoners’ perfect record.
‘For me, there are five favourites for the title this year: Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich,’Matthaus told Sky Germany ahead of the opening round of fixtures.
PSG have won the title in back-to-back seasons (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal open their campaign against Napoli on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)
‘However, Real Madrid still needs to gel as a team – as seen against Real Betis at the weekend – and therefore remains a question mark.
‘Jose Mourinho still needs to forge a unit from the squad.
‘If there are further issues with Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior, it might be necessary to simply leave one of them out.’
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Matthaus – a two-time Champions League runner-up with Bayern – added: ‘The other four clubs are, in my opinion, clear title contenders.
‘However, teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, or Atletico Madrid, who would have a home game in the Champions League final, could also reach for the stars.
‘Borussia Dortmund recently passed their character test in Hoffenheim and should go further in the Champions League than last year, although that, of course, always depends on the draw.’
Arsenal are one of five English teams competing in this year’s competition, with Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester United also doing battle for the main prize.
City kick things off away to Portuguese champions Porto this evening, while Unai Emery’s Villa face off against Club Brugge in Belgium.
Six-time winners Liverpool open their European campaign at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, before Manchester United welcome Azerbaijani minnows Sabah to Old Trafford the following night.
The Champions League is packed with unfamiliar stars (Picture: Getty)
The Champions League is back tonight with the finest sides on the continent battling it out to become Champions of Europe.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland are expected to take centre stage once again in what promises to be another dramatic season of European football.
But there are a whole host of less familiar players who will be hoping to make a name for themselves in Europe’s premier club competition this term.
Metro takes a look at 10 players to keep a close eye on in the Champions League this season, from Real Madrid’s £120m signing to Barcelona’s new wonderkid.
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1. Nico Paz (Como)
Paz (Picture: Getty)
Como are making their Champions League debut this season and boast one of the most sought-after young players in the world in Paz.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who was born in Spain but plays for Argentina, was named as the best midfielder in Serie A last season and will look to continue that form on the European stage this campaign.
But while the Italian side will be playing in the Champions League for the first time, Paz will not be, having made three appearances for Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2023/24 edition.
2. Mika Godts (PSG)
Godts (Picture: Getty)
Godts enjoyed an incredible breakout season at Ajax last year with over 30 goals and assists notched up for the Dutch giants, which convinced PSG to part with almost £50m for his services this summer.
Godts is yet to start a game for PSG this season but the 21-year-old will surely be given enough game time in the competition by Luis Enrique to showcase his immense talent to Champions League audiences.
Despite his stellar season at Ajax, Godts was remarkably left out of the Belgium squad for the World Cup by the now-departed Rudi Garcia.
3. Konstantinos Karetsas (Borussia Dortmund)
Karetsas (Picture: Getty)
Very few clubs have an eye for young talent as much as Dortmund, who snapped up Karetsas from Genk last month for just shy of £30m.
The attacking midfielder has started both of Dortmund’s Bundesliga games this season and even scored for the German side in their 3-2 victory over Arsenal in pre-season.
Karetsas, 18, is the poster boy for a golden generation of Greek football, who have silently produced one of the most promising groups of players in international football.
4. Pio Esposito (Inter)
Esposito (Picture: Getty)
Esposito has emerged as one of the most rounded young strikers in Europe over the past 12 months.
The Italian star scored a modest ten goals for the Nerazzurri last season, but it is his all-round performances which have produced such a hype around the 21-year-old.
The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Esposito, who has recently signed a new six-year deal with the Serie A champions.
5. Yan Diomande (Real Madrid)
Diomande (Picture: Getty)
The major heavyweights of European football were all circling around Diomande this summer, and it was Real Madrid who emerged victorious with a club-record £120m deal to secure his signature from Leipzig in August.
The move to the Bernabeu marks a meteoric rise for the winger, who only joined Leipzig from Leganes last year.
The 19-year-old has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho in the early stages of the campaign, but there is little doubting the talent that the Ivorian possesses.
6. Oskar Pietuszewski (Porto)
Pietuszewski (Picture: Getty)
Porto would have had high hopes when they signed Pietuszewski from Jagiellonia Bialystok for just £9m back in January, but they surely couldn’t have imagined quite the impact he would go on to make.
The Polish star almost instantly cemented his place in the starting XI with a string of age-defying displays on the wing.
Pietuszewski, 18, has subsequently been linked with the likes Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and it’s only a matter of time until the Pole gets picked up by one of the continent’s elite.
7. Noah Fernandez (PSV)
Fernandez (Picture: Getty)
Fernandez made his first-team debut last season and went on to feature in a handful of games for PSV – the majority of them coming towards the end of the campaign.
But the start of this season has seen Fernandez establish himself as first-choice in midfield despite being just 18.
A strong showing in the Champions League over the next few months could see the Belgian wonderkid become the next big sale from the Eredivisie.
8. Ismael Saibari (Bayern Munich)
Saibari (Picture: Getty)
Saibari had already cemented himself as one of the best players in the Dutch league with PSV over the past couple of seasons, but it was his performances in the World Cup which really saw the Moroccan make a name for himself.
His three goals for the Atlas Lions in North America this summer was enough to earn him a £45m move to Bayern in July.
The 25-year-old marked his Bundesliga debut with two assists against Stuttgart despite not even being on the pitch for half an hour, and he looks set to boost Bayern’s already enviable collection of attacking talent.
9. Xavi Espart (Barcelona)
Espart (Picture: Getty)
It feels like Barcelona introduce a new wonderkid to the world every year, and this time it’s the turn of Espart to emerge as the next gem from their fabled La Masia academy.
The 19-year-old has played every minute for Barcelona at left back this season and has not looked out of place amongst the club’s superstars.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that Espart is a midfielder by trade – and not to mention the fact he’s right-footed – in what is an extraordinary display of versatility.
10. Rodrigo Mora (Roma)
Mora (Picture: Getty)
Mora burst onto the scene at Porto when he was just 17 and went on to score 12 goals in a staggering 2024/25 season with the Portuguese club.
An underwhelming second year followed, however, with Mora managing just one goal in the league in 2025/26.
Roma overlooked the struggles of last season when they bought Mora for £21m in the summer, and they will be hoping the now-19-year-old can rediscover the form which made him one of the best young players in the world just a couple of years ago.
Xabi Alonso’s new-look side were hoping to cement their status as potential title challengers at the home of the reigning champions.
The Blues made a positive start, racing into an early lead through Morgan Rogers’, but Arsenal’s class and experience ultimately told and the Gunners ran out convincing 2-1 winners.
While Terry saw many positives in defeat, he suggested a lack of intensity and concentration contributed to the mistakes that were committed in the build-up to Kai Havertz’s equaliser.
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‘Reece just needs to drop in and close the space because Havertz then has to go down the outside on his weaker foot, he came in on his left foot and got the shot off because there was a gap and space,’ said Terry on his YouTube channel.
The club legend also thought his old team missed a trick during the early exchanges when Emi Martinez received a kick to the head from Gabriel Magalhaes.
No disciplinary action was taken against the Arsenal defender, but Terry believes the VAR might have intervened had Chelesa’s leadership group, such as it is, applied more pressure to the match officials after seeing their goalkeeper writhing around in apparent pain.
John Terry said Reece James of failed to spot the danger as Kai Havertz approached goal
Reece James could only watch on as Kai Havertz equalised for Arsenal (Picture: Sky Sport)
‘I think we missed a big opportunity to get Gabriel sent off,’ he added.
‘I think it was Hato and Joao Pedro closest, as soon as I see my goalkeeper reacting like that I’m surrounding the ref saying ‘he’s just been kicked in the f’ing head ref’ put a bit of pressure on the ref.
‘I know we don’t really want to be doing that but we’re here to win 3 points and challenge for the league.’
‘I think we need to be better at dark arts, they’re big, Arsenal are the best at it.’
Whether haranguing the officials would have made a difference to Gabriel’s fate remains highly doubtful, however, with former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher suggesting the Brazil international was not guilty of violent conduct.
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‘They’re all on the floor,’ Gallagher told Sky Sports. ‘There’s a big tangle. He definitely goes to kick the ball and he gets the ball, his foot actually gets the ball.
‘That’s why it pops out of Martinez’s hands. Martinez grabs the ball, [Gabriel] goes to kick, gets the ball. Then his foot goes up and catches Martinez in the head.”
Asked whether the ball was in both hands when Gabriel then kicked Martinez, Gallagher added: ‘It was but he’s gone to kick the ball because there’s such a tangle. He’s gone to get it.
‘I don’t think there’s any malice whatsoever in it.’
