Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding believes the club have the capacity to clinch a top four finish this season after 2-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend.
Holding, 23, has played an important role for the Gunners this season under Unai Emery, and the club now sit just one point behind fourth-place Chelsea.
Are Arsenal serious top four contenders? Five things to know
- The Gunners are currently 11 matches unbeaten in the Premier League.
- Emery’s men have netted more goals (28) than Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs.
- Arsenal have finished outside the top four for the previous two seasons, with Emery recently stating the club were in decline under Arsene Wenger.
- Only Manchester City have managed more goals per 90 (3.1) than Arsenal in the Premier League (2.2).
- Arsenal have already secured as many away wins in the Premier League this season (four) as they managed during the whole of last term.
The Gunners were made to work at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, but a bizarre own goal from Jefferson Lerma and a poacher’s finish from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were enough to keep Arsenal within touching distance of a Champions League place.
Victory stretched the north London club’s unbeaten record across all competitions to 17 matches, while defeat for Chelsea against Spurs closed the gap between fourth and fifth to just the single point.
Holding has come of age this season, starting seven league matches, and while there was a tactical revamp following the omission of Mesut Ozil against Bournemouth, the Stalybridge-born defender has praised Arsenal’s mental fortitude.
Speaking to talkSPORT after the game, Holding said: “We’ve had tough games here [Vitality Stadium] and when they scored seconds before half-time we could have put our heads down and came out in the second-half not at it.
“We put it behind us though and went again and we have been strong in the second-half this season so we knew we’d get goals.
“You’ve got Manchester City and Liverpool at the top who are very strong but if we can keep chipping away and get the points we need then I feel we could be up there [top four].
“We never give up and never stop trying but I think tactically we’re stronger and we’re a bit more organised this season.”
Arsenal seeking January reinforcements
Following Danny Welbeck’s horror injury against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League, the club’s head of football Raul Sanllehi has hinted that they may recruit in the winter window.
The England international faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines and, with just seven months remaining on his contract, Emery may be forced to bolster his armoury in January and find a replacement forward.
Sanllehi seemed to suggest that Welbeck’s sudden injury has changed the club’s approach when the new year arrives.
“That is absolutely something unplanned,” he said when asked about the 27-year-old’s latest setback.
“Yes, that makes you consider things. I am not saying that’s a green light to go to the market but we have good players in the house also that may get further opportunities, like Eddie Nketiah for example.
“We need to see. We are in November, so it’s a good time to start analysing what options we have in the market. We are not closing the door but it’s still not the preferred one.
“The plans were made in the summer. We are happy with how things are going. We are always going to strive to be the best team we can be.
“If there is a very good opportunity, we are definitely going to consider [it], we will see. Danny Welbeck’s injury alters, in a way, the views.”
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