Kolo Toure Backs Rob Holding Ahead of Man City, Erling Haaland

Kolo Toure believes Rob Holding is not to blame for Arsenal’s recent poor form and has urged the team to help the defender perform better. The Gunners have taken just three points from a possible nine in the last three weeks, leading to their lead over Manchester City in the Premier League title race being cut to just five points. Holding has been starting in place of the injured William Saliba, who had been pivotal to Arsenal’s title campaign. Toure, who won the Premier League with both Arsenal and Man City, said: ‘He hasn’t played a lot of games but he’s a player that the manager trusts. I don’t think the [recent] results have only been his fault. It’s been the [entire] team, in my opinion, it’s not only him who defends. Everybody defends with him. You just need to to stay calm and just try to help his team because he’s part of the team. When you’re a manager, you have 23 players that you count on and when there’s an injured player, there’s one who will have to come and Holding has been trying his best.’ Holding will have to try to contain Erling Haaland when Arsenal play Man City on Wednesday night in what looks set to be the title deciding game. Prior to this run, Holding had played just 19 minutes of Premier League football this season and had started Arsenal’s FA Cup fourth round game at City back in January but was subbed off at half-time having been booked and run ragged by Haaland.