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Kevin Campbell says Arsenal star William Saliba is ‘cut above’ Rob Holding right now
Kevin Campbell has said that defender William Saliba is a ‘cut above’ Rob Holding and his other Arsenal defenders.
the Highbury Squad YouTube channel, Campbell was discussing the Frenchman’s absence.
The pressure is starting to mount on Mikel Arteta’s side as the title run-in took another dramatic turn on Sunday.
Ten minutes into their clash with West Ham, Arsenal looked set to extend their lead at the top of table to six points once again.
However, they were unable to maintain their usually very high standards, and ended up holding onto a 2-2 draw.
A penalty conceded by Gabriel Magalhaes completely changed the momentum of the match, and Arsenal lacked their normal control in possession.
They weren’t helped by the absence of William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko in defence.
The Ukrainian is as much a playmaker in Arteta’s set-up as a defender.
And Campbell believes Rob Holding is incapable of matching Saliba’s calmness and ability when on the ball, having started Arsenal’s last four league games.
Although this wasn’t the only reason Arsenal dropped points, it certainly contributed.
Arteta will be hoping he has the 22-year-old available again soon, especially with a trip to The Etihad on the horizon.
Campbell says Saliba is ‘cut above’ Holding
Talking about the French international, : “Let’s be brutally honest here, if [Takehiro] Tomiyasu was fit, who’s to say Ben White doesn’t go alongside Gabriel, and Tomiyasu plays right-back.
“That’s no disrespect to Rob Holding, because I think Holding’s done all right.
“But, [William] Saliba has shown at this level, he’s a cut above and we miss him so much.
“Not only his presence there, because he can deal with [Michail] Antonio, he can deal with long balls, he’s quick, he covers the ground.
“On the ball, he makes us start and tick from the back, which is so important when Rob Holding’s nowhere near as good as Saliba on the ball.
“Saliba will drop a shoulder, and then play a ball into midfield so somebody can get it and turn.
“Rob Holding just hasn’t got that in his locker.”
The outlook on Saliba’s injury isn’t looking good right now, with saying there’s a resignation at Arsenal that he’s not close to a return.
It’s a huge blow for the Gunners, who have relied so heavily on the partnership created by Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Holding has done a decent job in Saliba’s absence, but Campbell’s opinion that he’s not at the same level will be shared by plenty of Arsenal fans.
The 27-year-old has reportedly done enough to convince Arteta not to sell him this summer.
But he’s not a good enough defender to sustain a Premier League title challenge.