There was a worrying moment for Arsenal fans ahead of Saturday's game against Leeds.
With William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu already injured, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta can't afford to lose another defender to the treatment room. Yet it seemed as Ben White's afternoon was over before it even started, as he failed to complete Arsenal's warm-up.
Many players would have thrown the towel in, but White is made of sterner stuff. He played through the pain barrier to help Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 and restore their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with Arteta calling him a "fighter" at full-time.
Arteta was asked why White failed to complete his warm-up during his post-match press conference. He confirmed the Englishman is suffering with a minor issue but was keen to play after Arsenal's other right-back, Tomiyasu, suffered a season-ending knee injury.
White's defiant attitude personifies Arteta's side. In years gone by, Arsenal have been accused of being soft by pundits and fans. That word - soft - was something that came up time and time again during the latter years of Arsene Wenger's long reign.
Unai Emery's Arsenal were also described as soft... and so were Arteta's side during the start of his tenure. Yet Arsenal's current boss has, somehow, has managed to shake off that tag during the last couple of years. The Londoners are finally gunning again.
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Recruitment has played a big part in this. Under sporting director Edu, Arsenal have signed fighters. Look at Aaron Ramsdale - a goalkeeper who suffered three consecutive relegations at the start of his career and was hammered when he arrived at the Emirates.
Look at Martin Odegaard - a midfielder who was called a "flop" after he failed to break into Real Madrid's first team as a teenager. And what about Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko? Two players who know exactly how to win Premier League titles.
Arsenal are no longer a soft touch... and they are relishing this title race. Arteta admitted he was "enjoying" games rather than dreading them. Other teams would have crumbled after Manchester City's emphatic 4-1 win against Liverpool in Saturday's early kick-off - but Arsenal responded by recording the exact same result against Leeds.
The confidence was evident from White's post-match interview. The defender was asked by the BBC whether he watched Man City's victory against Liverpool. He replied, "I don't watch football, so I was just focused on the game today and that was it.
"There's a lot of noise going on outside, and everyone is just keeping it very quiet and just getting on with what we are doing."
If Arsenal can keep doing that, this title is theirs. Everyone keeps expecting Arteta's side to crumble; to do what they have done every year since the Invincibles lifted the Premier League title in May 2004. Yet times have changed. Arsenal are up for the fight again.
