Rob Holding: Arsenal’s next ‘next man up’

William Saliba is set to miss his second match in a row with a back injury picked up before the international break, with Mikel Arteta speculating the issue could’ve been sustained in the 3-0 win over Fulham.

This, once again, means Rob Holding will take his place in the starting XI as he did against Crystal Palace. And no, Arteta will not be experimenting with the back line in Holding’s absence.

The fans might not have it, but Mikel Arteta trusts Rob Holding. A lineup like you’ll see proposed on Twitter with Oleksandr Zinchenko or Kieran Tierney at right-back with Ben White at centre-back, or Jakub Kiwior with five whole Premier League minutes under his belt starting at RCB would not only be massive gambles, but a slap in the face to a player that Arteta trusts and has been with Arsenal for a long time.

A lot of the discourse surrounding Saliba and Holding’s promotion is a woeful overreaction. Arteta is not as reactive as fans, and he’ll play Holding against Leeds and for even more matches if Saliba’s injury dictates that. It’s not ideal, but it’s what Arsenal must do.

One of the themes of this season has proven to be “next man up.” Eddie Nketiah stepped up in Gabriel Jesus’s absence, Jorginho stepped up in Thomas Partey’s absence,  Leandro Trossard stepped up, and Reiss Nelson stepped up on multiple occasions when given the opportunity.

This Arsenal side are like Belichick’s Patriots. Doing their job.

Holding played well in the resounding victory over Crystal Palace. He is a more than competent defender, especially with the first team around him. Hopefully, William Saliba will be fit to return to the team as soon as possible, but until then, Arsenal will have to trust their long-serving Englishman alongside the imperious Gabriel.