Arsenal: Per Mertesacker reveals edge to Rob Holding

Per Mertesacker has revealed the tactics that he and Rob Holding used to deal with Diego Costa, highlighting an edge to the young Arsenal defender in the process.

I, like most Arsenal fans, am still basking in the glory of the FA Cup final. It was a wonderful game. It was a wonderful performance and even better result. It exemplified all of the positives of the Gunners this season, especially early on. Pace, power, precision. They were ruthlessly fluid in the final third, dismantling an apparently regimented and disciplined Chelsea team.

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But what was most pleasing, for me at least, was the defensive performance of the team. Given the context, with the crisis thanks to injuries and untimely suspensions, the fact that Per Mertesacker had played just 37 minutes all season; that Nacho Monreal was a left-back turned centre-half; that Rob Holding was only 21, it was a remarkable display.

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And the way in which they handled Diego Costa was especially brilliant and intriguing. Here is what Mertesacker had to say regarding the tactics that he and Holding employed in keeping a hold of the bullying Chelsea striker:

"“We went to work on Diego Costa. Rob was giving him a really hard time. I kept patting him on the back, being friendly, while Rob kept on talking to him. A good double act. It was very exciting to see how quickly things can turn. What was really important was that we kept on running with Costa, to make sure those long balls didn’t get to him. We were prepared for that. Especially when Fabregas came on, we were ready to run back to cut out those long balls over the top that he plays.”"

Such comments show an edge to Holding that is rare in an Arsenal player. Although Costa was able to hustle and bustle his way to a chance well saved in the first half and a goal in the second half, beating Holding on both occasions thanks to his physical power, for the most part, both Holding and Mertesacker kept him at arm’s length.

And it does portray a positive future for Holding. He has the physical and technical tools to be a successful defender in his career. But what is most convincing and influential is his mental attributes; his positional astuteness, his reading of the game and his willingness to battle, mentally, with the best strikers that English football has to offer, are what make him such a promising prospect.

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For far too long, Arsenal defenders have been talented but soft. Holding, more than being just talented, has an edge to him, and that is a wonderful thing indeed.