Rob Holding Says Arsenal 'Not a Million Miles Off' Top 4 in Premier League

Arsenal aren't as far away as it appears from a place in the top four of the Premier League, according to centre-back Rob Holding. The defender has called for patience and belief to help the Gunners' bid to return to the UEFA Champions League places.

Speaking to Dan Sansom of Sky Sports News, Holding assessed Arsenal's chances: "We just need to string a couple of wins together and I think that will lift the confidence again and hopefully set us off on a run. We just need to stay calm and stay positive. We're sixth, we're not a million miles off it."

Holding is eagerly looking forward to the ample rewards available during a congested run of festive fixtures.

Arsenal will play seven league games during the month of December, and Holding knows how quickly the club can change its fortunes: "We're eight points off the top four, but if we have three wins in a week we're back up within touching distance, so it's not crisis point by any stretch of the imagination. We need to keep calm, keep positive and keep working on what we need to improve on."

A call for faith is well-timed from Holding, particularly with the Gunners mired in a slump recently. Arsenal have won just two of the last seven games in all competitions, including taking a mere two points in the league to reside in sixth place.

The dire form has led to doubts about the future of head coach Unai Emery. He received public backing from head of football Raul Sanllehi after the 2-0 defeat away to Leicester City earlier in November, per Metro.

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Emery salvaging his job depends on improving results, something hinging on fixing a leaky defence. The Gunners have conceded 16 goals in 12 league matches, highlighting the obvious weakness in Emery's squad.

Attempts to shore things up have included playing a back three against the Foxes and for the 1-1 draw with Vitoria in the UEFA Europa League. Holding started both matches and can be a key figure in any defensive revival on Emery's watch.

The 24-year-old has dealt with his share of injury issues since arriving from Bolton Wanderers in 2016, particularly the ACL problem that brought his impressive 2018/19 campaign to a premature end.

Yet when he's fully fit, Holding is arguably the best natural defender on Arsenal's books. He's aggressive on the deck and decisive in the air. If there is one area where he needs to improve, it's playing out from the back, which is a necessary skill in a three-man defence.

Putting the right players around Holding will help his development. David Luiz is the obvious deep-lying playmaker Arsenal's back three needs, while Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi are both comfortable in possession.

Fellow centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos remains rough around the edges, but he echoed Holding's statements about the importance of confidence on Arsenal Player (h/t Rob Kelly of the club's official website): "The team needs confidence and calm to show the quality we have. This will give confidence also."

Emery should welcome Sokratis and Holding being up for the fight of getting Arsenal into the top four. The Gunners have to make do with the defenders they have got, at least until the January transfer window.

There have been rumours Arsenal will bid £43 million for Villarreal's Pau Torres, per Jack Figg of The Sun. Even if Torres is not acquired during the winter, impressive 18-year-old William Saliba will arrive next summer once his loan spell with Saint-Etienne comes to an end:

In the meantime, Arsenal will need tactical tweaks and the improvement and resolve of incumbent defenders to give Emery's team the secure base it needs to qualify for the Champions League.