One could potentially argue that Rob Holding has been among Arsenal’s best players this season.
The 25-year-old has started 18 of the Gunners’ 22 Premier League games during an otherwise mixed campaign for the North Londoners, who sit 10th in the table.
One saving grace for Arsenal is the fact that they aren’t conceding many goals.
Mikel Arteta’s side have shipped 22 goals [only Manchester City have conceded less] and Holding has been a big reason for that.
And you have to give Arteta quite a lot of credit here.
The rookie Spanish coach has faced his fair share of criticism this season, but he blocked Holding’s exit last summer and what a good decision that looks like now.
Speaking via The Standard in September of last year, Arteta said about the Newcastle-linked star: “I said to him, change your mind because you are not going anywhere. Now why would I have to let him go? You are already playing so what else do you want?”
Arteta had quite a few central defenders on the books at that time – including William Saliba, who’s been loaned to Nice this winter – and there would’ve been justification to let him join Newcastle.
But the former Manchester City assistant is clearly a huge fan of the former Bolton defender – a £2 million signing under Arsene Wenger – and now Arsenal are benefiting from that faith.
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