Too soft for My liking — Emmanuel Petit slams Arsenal player

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has criticized current Arsenal defender Rob Holding, saying that he is too soft for a defender and he is not a fan of the player. The comments came after Holding started in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend, following an injury sustained by William Saliba during the club’s UEFA Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

“I think he’s too soft as a defender,” Petit told Premier League Productions. “Rob Holding, I’m not a big fan of him, to be honest. It is such a shame also to see [Takehiro] Tomiyasu injured. I would have preferred to have Tomiyasu at right-back and Ben White as a central defender.”

Petit’s comments come after Holding has made 18 appearances for Arsenal so far this season. The 26-year-old defender joined Arsenal in 2016 from Bolton Wanderers and has since gone on to make a total of 88 appearances for the club.

Arsenal fans may may have a mixed feeling about Petit’s assessment of Holding’s performances, currently Rob Holding has seen less minutes under manager Mikel Arteta this season.

The Gunners currently sit in top spot in the Premier League table, eight points above Manchester City, and will be looking to finish the season strongly in order to win their first Premier League title in years.