By Connor Armstrong
Rob Holding made a winning return to the starting lineup as we won 2-1 at Middlesbrough on Monday night.
The Tameside-born defender hadn’t made a Premier League appearance since a 3-1 win over Watford on August 27, 2016.
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The 21-year-old lined up as pack of a back three - something he also did on his league debut for former club Bolton Wanderers at the very same stadium.
“I’ve played once before in a back three and it was actually here on my Championship debut with Bolton,” Holding told Arsenal Player.
“We lost 3-0 so that was a bit different to this one, but I’ve played in a back three before and you’ve just got to keep working together and communicating and as long as you keep sliding across as a unit then you’re alright.
“We’d done it in the week and then we did it yesterday [Sunday] but I wasn’t in the team and I wasn’t sure if I was playing or not and it wasn’t until today that I found out I was in the back three, so that was good.
“With those two [Gabriel and Laurent Koscielny] alongside you it’s a lot easier,” Holding added.
“Koscielny was the central one, pulling the strings with us both and telling us where to go and that, so with someone like him and his experience it makes it a lot more comfortable.”
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