Ian Wright says Mikel Arteta has treated one Arsenal player unfairly this week

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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s decision to drop Rob Holding this week was ‘unfair’.

The Gunners took on Chelsea at the Emirates on the back of four games without a win. They were held to draws by Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton, before Manchester City battered them at the Etihad.

The derby against Chelsea was a must-win, and Mikel Arteta decided to drop Rob Holding to the bench. Ian Wright claimed on Premier League Productions (02/05/23 at 7:10 pm) that the decision was an ‘unfair’ one.

Ian Wright says Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been ‘unfair’ to Rob Holding this week

Arsenal defender Rob Holding has come under immense criticism for his performances over the last month.

The Englishman was always just a backup at the Emirates, but following injuries to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu, the Arsenal boss was forced to bring him into his starting eleven.

Holding hasn’t been terrible by any means, but Arsenal fans have been so used to the brilliance of Saliba that some of them expected the Bolton old-boy to be on the same level.

That’s not a fair expectation at all, and Ian Wright has had a go at the critics. He also claimed that Arteta’s decision to drop him was a bit ‘unfair’.

He said, as quoted by HITC: “I think he has been a bit unfair on Rob Holding. He is somebody who hasn’t had a lot of minutes.

“He was someone who came in to replace William Saliba – and he is fantastic. Yes, in certain instances, Rob has been done for pace. We have seen him isolated and it has caused a bit of a problem.

“I think it has been unfair some of the stick he has got.”

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Some of the criticism Holding received was definitely unfair, but Arteta was right to replace him against Chelsea on Tuesday.

After four games without a win and the title race slipping away, the Arsenal boss had to change something.

Besides, Holding wasn’t the only one dropped – Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli, who have both been incredible for the Gunners for most of this season, were benched too.

Jakub Kiwior, the man who came in for Holding, did a wonderful job, so Arteta’s decision has been proved right.