Raheem Sterling and Ben White just went toe-to-toe in training ahead of the North London Derby.

Mikel Arteta’s players have been hard at working in training this week, preparing to take on their bitter local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. 

Arsenal will face a tough test against Spurs this afternoon, as they are heading into this match with some key players absent. The likes of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino, amongst others, are all sidelined for this grudge match. 

These absences make it all the more likely that Raheem Sterling shall come into the starting XI to make his Arsenal debut. 

In order to prepare him to make his Arsenal bow, Sterling was recently pitted against Ben White on the training pitch.

Arsenal fans watch Raheem Sterling and Ben White duel

In training footage recently shared by the club’s official YouTube channel, Sterling can be seen getting the better of White on more that one occasion. 

The former Chelsea winger looked confident on the ball, and produced some eye-catching skills to skip past the right-back. 

Arsenal fans on X were quick to react to the footage.

One said: “Nah where has this sterling been hiding he actually looks good.”

Another stated: “Iron sharpens Iron! Benny will be better in 1v1s come the end of the year. He usually concedes ground when defending against teccy and speedy forwards.”

One added: “Aint no way benji got passed easly on match day,  clearly he hold a bit doesn’t want break the weekend early.”

Another quipped: “Arteta is a genius, he ask White not to tackle so he can gain more confidence.”

One supporter confessed: “I saw this and got excited and afraid at the same time.”

Another asserted: “To boost his confidence, Ben has to let him pass.”

What Sterling could do for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur

If Sterling does make his debut for the Gunners against Spurs, then he has the experience to cope with such an occasion.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that the 29-year-old is able to hit the ground running, and add another dimension to the team’s attack.

Arteta believes he can reinvigorate Sterling, having previously worked with the England international at Manchester City. It would be a huge boost for the Gunners if the manager can work his magic on Sterling quickly. 

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