Why is Rob Holding the First Name on the Team Sheet?

Arsenal fans just do not seem to rate Rob Holding.

Ever since he joined from Bolton, he’s been touted as a rotation option, nothing more. Calum Chambers, his roommate and best friend, was always seen as the “future of the Arsenal backline,” with Holding a convenient fill-in option. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy for that narrative to be reversed.

A loan move to Newcastle looked on the cards, but fell through around deadline day. Rumor has it the move was disrupted by Mikel Arteta, who wanted to keep him in the lineup, despite the apparent advantages of loaning the Englishman. But despite that apparent justification, most of his social media buzz sources from Arsenal fans bemoaning his presence in the squad, or roasting his hairline in the game against Man Utd. I’d argue his biggest flaw is lacking an exciting name.

People slam him for his lack of pace. But his pockets are overflowing to this day with Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford. It never really seems to stop him. People say he’s inconsistent, but he’s kept two clean sheets in four games this season, and we’ve lost both games when he hasn’t started. And while that’s likely a correlation, not a causation, big games never really seem to stop him either.

He’s also clearly flowing with confidence, and has been since he attempted and succeeded an audacious, Ronaldinho-esque air-dribble against Fulham. He combines height, strength, and surprising composure, and when he’s not injured, rarely puts a foot wrong. And his injuries have begun to phase him less, as evidenced by his speedy recovery from his latest hamstring issue.

In a lineup where we worry constantly about errors stemming from Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz, there’s something comforting about the Englishman’s presence at the back. And yet, every time Arsenal appear injury-free, fans cry out for him to be dropped. I just don’t understand why people don’t rate him as much as they should.

This isn’t me saying he’s future captain material. But he’s proven time and time again that he is deserving of a starting berth. And you can bet dollars to donuts that Arteta thinks that too.

Gabriel has proven himself capable of playing the long-balls and looping clearances that Luiz is famous for, and while he lacks consistency, I would argue that our creativity should not hinge on the creative abilities of our centre-backs. I believe there’s a space open at the RCB role, in a back-three or back-four. Gabriel and Rob Holding is a scary partnership. I think we should exploit it.