This controversial Arsenal defender could be key to beating Chelsea
By Kian Long
The Arsenal boss has a tough selection conundrum for the FA Cup final.
Well, well, well. This is what it’s all come down to. With it now being mathematically impossible for Arsenal to finish within a European qualification spot in the league, given there is only one match left to play, they need to win the FA Cup.
It is a competition which has served them well and having beaten Manchester City in the semifinal, they will be full of confidence in training to beat Chelsea. It’s a London vs London derby and it’s bound to be one like no other.
Mikel Arteta will place a lot of emphasis on his defence, as this is a tactic which has served him well in both the Liverpool and City matches. He will want to be resilient in his approach, given Chelsea can be a strong attacking force under Frank Lampard when they want to be.
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This had me pondering over what the best back-line would be for the Gunners. One thing can almost be said for certain; Arteta will feature his infamous back-three with two wing-backs. For several reasons, I think that Rob Holding is worthy of starting this match.
I know, I know. It sounds risky, right? After all, the Englishman has started just 11 matches across all competition this season. To throw him into a final would be a bold move from Arteta, but I feel like he would reap all the rewards.
Hear me out. Arsenal need to be resilient, yes, but they also need to fight back. They need to let the Chelsea attackers know that they are not to be pushed around. Rob Holding is perfect for this.
Two scenarios spring to mind where Holding has single-handedly brushed world-class players aside, most recently Sadio Mane but also Diego Costa in Arsenal’s last cup final. Both of these players differ in terms of their strengths, but Costa is the most prominent (and not just because he played for Chelsea).
The reason why this performance from Holding sticks out to me is that he not only defended against Costa in this cup final, but he initiated the conflict. There was even a moment where the England international pointed out that he was in Costa’s head.
The London derby is a battle, and with Olivier Giroud a probable headliner for Chelsea, the attackers aren’t going to let the Arsenal defence be flimsy. Holding is the perfect option to fight back against the somewhat frightening presence that is Giroud.
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What do you think? Should Arteta risk starting Rob Holding?