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Arsenal pipped their London rivals in the 2017 Wembley final

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The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Five times a week Four Four Two Daily Fantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more. Once a week . .. And it’s LIVE! Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off! Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. When Rob Holding walked at Wembley for the 2017 FA Cup final, the Arsenal defender was just 21 years old and was tasked with taking on one of European football’s trickiest customers in Diego Costa. Holding had arrived at Arsenal at the start of that season when he joined from Bolton Wanderers in a £2million move and quickly established himself in the Gunners’ first-team squad and earned the praise of his boss Arsene Wenger. Coming at the end of Holding’s first season with the Gunners, the Wembley final against Chelsea presented a fresh challenge for the young centre-back.

For the previous two seasons, Costa had established himself as one of the Premier League’s best - and most fiery - strikers, who was as adept at unsettling defenders as he was at scoring goals. Wenger gave Holding the nod in a three-man Arsenal defence alongside the more experienced duo of Nacho Monreal and skipper Per Mertesacker. Get VIP Arsenal tickets HERE with Seat Unique! Arsenal's premium Club Level tickets offer superb padded seating and access to the lounge two-and-a-half hours pre-match. The package includes four drinks, one food item, and a half-time complimentary drink. Guests also receive a £5 merchandise voucher and a complimentary Museum Tour, ensuring an elevated and comprehensive matchday experience for home supporters. But far from being the weak link in the backline, Holding gave as good as he got. “I knew what Costa was like, ” the former England U21 star tells Four Four Two. “He wanted to throw you off your game. ” The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Costa quickly attempted to do just that. “At one point he jumped on the floor and pulled me down with him, and then kicked out. ” There was plenty more to come, including one of the more iconic images from Arsenal’s 2-1 victory, which came courtesy of an Aaron Ramsey winner, which came shortly after Costa had cancelled out Alexis Sanchez’s early opener. “Obviously, there is the famous image of me pointing at my head saying, ‘You’re a nutter, you’re crazy’, ” Holding recalls.

“But then I just got back into my position. There was actually a nice little moment towards the end of the game where I blocked one of his shots and he tapped me on the chest. “I think that was a little bit of respect, which was cool. He was a great goalscorer, but just a bit of an agitator. “It was phenomenal lifting the FA Cup. ” For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and Leeds Live among others and worked at Four Four Two throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

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