It wasn’t how Leeds United fans had dreamt it.
Ben White was making his Premier League debut, but for Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday evening as the Seagulls were defeated 3-1 by Chelsea at the Amex Stadium.
The defender earned rave reviews for his performances last season as Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured promotion back to the Premier League after a sixteen-year absence. The hope was that White could continue on that journey with them, but the Seagulls demands were too big for Leeds to meet.
It likely left supporters torn on Monday night; frustrated they couldn’t get a deal done, but eager to see White succeed. The defender was nothing but complementary to the club for their role in his development, and we saw just how he had progressed against Chelsea.
It started as early as the third minute when he stepped up well to catch Chelsea debutant Timo Werner offside, and that moment was a microcosm for the confidence with which the Seagulls started the game. He was keen to get on the ball and push it out wide to the impressive Tariq Lamptey, and the duo formed a strong partnership down Brighton’s right.
There was the odd mistake -- in the 12th minute he tried to dribble out of pressure before losing it high up the pitch, but he was still finding his feet into the game. When Chelsea’s first goal arrived, there was little White could do. A poor pass by Steven Alzate saw Timo Werner played through one on one with Mat Ryan in the Brighton goal.
White did his best to recover, but Ryan ultimately conceded a penalty that Jorginho dispatched. A few minutes later it looked like Werner had snuck in behind the Brighton defence when Kai Havertz played it into space. That was when White showed his speed to recover and delay the German from advancing on the Brighton goal.
By far his biggest test of the night came in the 41st minute when a two v one situation developed involving Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Werner. White held his nerve, however, and split the space between the two before intercepting Loftus-Cheek’s pass.
In the second half, Chelsea appeared to try and target Brighton’s left-hand side. Just as with the first there was little White could have done to stop Reece James’ outstanding strike. He continued to be a solid defender at the back, even as the game got further away from the Seagulls, and in the 76th minute, he hurried across to cover Andy Webster and block a powerful shot from Werner.
His night would end two minutes later when Graham Potter substituted him. All in all, however, White should feel happy with his contribution against Chelsea. He managed 39 completed passes out of 48 attempted, completed two interceptions, and one block, according to Statszone.
This will come as little surprise to most Leeds fans, as his quality was very evident at Elland Road. White’s future looks like being a bright one, and it may end up that he is the one that got away from Bielsa and Leeds.
