Invincible Lauren makes bold Gabriel & William Saliba claim

Arsenal legend throws rogue name into the mix for player of the season & makes exciting transfer claim.

• "The only thing I can say about Ben White is that I'm so proud of him. I've been a supporter of his ever since he arrived, and I've never doubted his quality."
• "There isn't a better centre-back partnership than Gabriel and William Saliba in the Premier League, in my opinion. I was with the team back in the summer during their pre-season in the USA. I was talking to Saliba and Gabriel and I told them it's been such a long time since I've seen two centre-backs with such a strong understanding of each other's games."
• "I love to see Gabriel's passion, it's fantastic. You need that kind of character at the back. He has so much quality on the ball, but he's also so aggressive; he has all of the qualities you need at this level."
• "Leandro Trossard is a player who hasn't really been in the spotlight, but he's so important for this Arsenal side, and he's shown on several occasions he's capable of scoring big goals in important moments."
• "I have no doubt that Edu and Mikel Arteta will have already been discussing where they might look to strengthen the team in the summer. I know Edu very well, and I've spent time with Mikel..."
  

I've been a big supporter of Ben White for the last few years, not just because of his recent performances in an Arsenal shirt. First of all, he was under so much pressure when he came to the club, because they paid £50m for him. Then, you've got to consider he's been asked to play in a position he hadn't played in often. 

I can remember the first time I saw him at the Emirates, I think it was against Leicester - from that moment all he's done is prove himself as a top, top defender. The only thing I can say about Ben White is that I'm so proud of him. I've been a supporter of his ever since he arrived, and I've never doubted his quality. 

It's a real shame he's not a part of the national set-up - we don't know exactly why that is. He would be a great option for England, especially heading into the Euros, but if that's not going to be the case then, while it's a real shame, being selfish, I honestly don't mind - because it means his sole focus is on Arsenal. Ben White not playing for England is only a good thing for Arsenal supporters.

That was the turning point in his Arsenal career, though, in my opinion... when he decided to leave the national team. That situation made him stronger, I believe. He's stronger now than the player who was playing for the national team, 100%. He's stronger than ever, and I love it. I love it. 

The game against Chelsea was just a fantastic performance, all across the pitch. In defence, when you look at how Arsenal played when Chelsea had the ball, and how they dealt with Nicolas Jackson attacking the spaces, I was so impressed with everyone. Every player in the team knew their role; they defended in a low block and when they won the ball, they hardly gave it away. Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey were always there to receive the ball, and that's when things got going. The movement of the players and the ball in the final third was fantastic. You saw it on a couple of occasions which led to goals, but it was constant throughout the game.

Arsenal did everything close to perfection, in my opinion... both defensively and offensively. 

 There isn't a better centre-back partnership than Gabriel and William Saliba in the Premier League, in my opinion. I was with the team back in the summer during their pre-season in the USA. I was talking to Saliba and Gabriel and I told them it's been such a long time since I've seen two centre-backs with such a strong understanding of each other's games. Their communication and coordination is exceptional, and it's been a long time since we've seen that at Arsenal. They're the best pair in England at the moment, without a doubt. 

One is more comfortable on the ball - Saliba, but that's not to say Gabriel isn't good in that are himself - and the other is more aggressive, in his tackles, in his aerial duels, and with his anticipation of the ball. They work so well together, and I think they've been absolutely outstanding. 

I love to see Gabriel's passion, it's fantastic. You need that kind of character at the back. He has so much quality on the ball, but he's also so aggressive; he has all of the qualities you need at this level. When things don't go well, he's constantly talking to his teammates as well; Saliba made a couple of mistakes in the game against Chelsea, and Gabriel was straight over to him, talking to him and lifting him up. When I see that kind of thing, I can't help but feel so proud. 

I can't pick a player of the season for Arsenal, because so many of the guys have been so dominant and important. First of all, you could look at the two centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel - they've dominated everything at the back. We need to dominate in the middle of the park, and it's something I've spoken about for a long time, across many interviews; in order to be at the top of the table, you need to dominate the midfield - and I believe that Declan Rice has that kind of presence in the middle of the park, which has allowed Martin Odegaard the freedom to do so much more going forward. Declan Rice has been a huge asset in the middle, and then up-front, we've now got players who can get involved and win matches with individual brilliance. 

Leandro Trossard is a player who hasn't really been in the spotlight, but he's so important for this Arsenal side, and he's shown on several occasions he's capable of scoring big goals in important moments. In recent weeks, he opened the scoring against Chelsea, he scored a huge goal away at Wolves, and obviously got the equaliser against Bayern Munich.

Rather than pick out just one player, the thing I've been most impressed with this season is the fact we are now dominating all areas of the pitch... you can't ask for much more than that. The whole squad deserves a mention for player of the season, and as for this year's Premier League team of the season, I would expect to see many Arsenal players making up that team. 

I have no doubt that Edu and Mikel Arteta will have already been discussing where they might look to strengthen the team in the summer. I know Edu very well, and I've spent time with Mikel... he's a top manager who focuses on every single little detail. It's amazing, the way he works, under so much pressure. I love how professional, determined and focused he is in making Arsenal one of the best teams in Europe. 

He knows what to do, so I'm happy to trust him and Edu to figure out exactly what they need, and who they might bring in to improve this team. 

Arsenal are absolutely in the best position they've been in for a very long time, when it comes to attracting big players. They're now competing for every trophy, every season, and that's a really good position to be in when you're trying to sign players. 

Not only that, though, we've also seen so many examples of players developing and improving under Edu and Arteta. You know, Leandro Trossard is better than he was two years ago, Ben White is better than he was two years ago, Gabriel Martinelli is better than he was two or three years ago... I can go through that whole team; Gabriel, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka... if you're playing for Arsenal right now, you're only getting better. That in itself makes the club so attractive for potential signings. The fact the club is challenging for every trophy, and the fact that there are so many proven examples of players improving year on year at the club, puts Arsenal in such a strong position in the transfer market.

I don't want to talk about the negatives when it comes to Arsenal's Champions League exit; I want to focus my attention on the positives the team can take away from this season. We are fighting to win the league against the best team in Europe, and we're disappointed to lose against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final... now we have a competitive team that can challenge the best teams in England and the rest of Europe. 

Of course, it's a pity not to have progressed to the semi-finals in Europe, but it now looks like we've got a team who will be playing Champions League football for many years to come, and it's been so long since Arsenal fans have been able to say that. 

This team is capable of winning the title and challenging any team in Europe. The Champions League is difficult because one mistake could be the difference between staying in or exiting the competition; it's not like it's a 30-game season, or anything like that... we were unlucky to lose to Bayern in the way we did, but I'll only take the positives from this season. 

Arsenal are currently second-favourites to win the Premier League, just behind Manchester City, despite being sat at the top of the table with just four games left to be played.

View the latest Premier League odds