BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has hailed the transformation of Arsenal defender Rob Holding since Unai Emery took over as manager.
Holding began the season on the bench but has started the Gunners’ last five Premier League matches and impressed alongside Shkodran Mustafi in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool.
“In a team very different from the one Arsene Wenger tried to create prior to leaving Arsenal, there is a particular player that has surprised me a great deal,” Crooks told the BBC Sport site as he named Holding in his team of the week. “I’ve seen Rob Holding play for Arsenal but never better than when I saw him against Liverpool.
“In a white hot atmosphere, the defender was cool on the ball and played with a confidence and assurance I hadn’t seen before.
“I said Unai Emery would get it together at Arsenal, I just didn’t think it would be so soon. Damn!”
OPINION
Everywhere you look, Arsenal players have been revitalised and improved by the change of manager. None has been more surprising than Holding, who looked a decent but far from special centre-back under Arsene Wenger. Now, the 23-year-old former Bolton Wanderers man is starting to look the real deal. He has benefitted from the absence of Laurent Koscielny to nail down a regular starting place ahead of Sokratis over the last month or two, and demonstrating an unexpected composure and resilience. Liverpool’s holy trinity of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane found him an unexpectedly formidable barrier at Emirates Stadium, where he coped impressively with most questions asked of him. Holding was excellent on the ball, too, and only Granit Xhaka pulled off more passes for the hosts. The defender is in the best XI on merit, and Koscielny, Sokratis and company have a major battle to on their hands to force him out of it.