Arsenal have had many famous FA Cup final victories with 14 titles to date, but their win over Chelsea in 2015 was made all the sweeter by Rob Holding’s antics against Diego Costa.
The former Arsenal defender, now at Crystal Palace, got under the skin of Costa all game before Aaron Ramsey nodded the winner home late on at Wembley.
Centre-back pairing of Per Mertesacker and Holding hatched a plan to prevent any influence of the talisman, succeeding in what could be seen as revenge for ‘deliberately’ getting the German sent off in the league encounter earlier in the season. Gabriel Paulista had also been sent off after challenging Diego Costa in 2015.
At just 21 years of age, Holding understood the task and not only nullified Costa’s influence on the game but galvanised the whole Arsenal team with the chaos of the encounter.
The most telling moment from the game was the Spaniard seeming to snarl at his counterpart after a tough challenge. But in retaliation, Holding could only share a laugh in response to what is still an iconic Arsenal moment to this day.
After joining from Bolton in 2016, Holding had some great spells in the side. But he was arguably most synonymous with this FA Cup final tussle, opening up on exactly what he had to say to the loud-mouthed Chelsea striker.
What Rob Holding said to Diego Costa during the fight
in an interview on Michael Timbs’ YouTube channel, Holding opened up on what caused the flare-up and exactly what he had to say to Costa.
Holding said it was ‘a personal thing,’ given how well he knew of the striker’s tenacity and how he tries to get in your head.
“The whole situation that happened, I feel like it was a foul against me. He just gives up on it and basically grabs me and throws me down on top of him, and then I land on him and just think, ‘What is this idiot doing?'” the defender said.
After getting off the floor, he gave Diego Costa a piece of his mind, and many Arsenal fans thought he was saying ‘I’m in your head’ to the Chelsea man, but Rob Holding said he only called him a ‘nutter.’
“You’re a nutter mate, I have no idea what you’re thinking or what you thought that move would do,” he said before revealing that Per Mertesacker did give him a few bits of ‘advice’ before the game.
Speaking at an Arsenal Q&A event, the now 28-year-old added: “I knew what he was going to play like, I knew he was going to try the mind games and try and throw me off my game, so I just didn’t rise to it and got back into position.
“I think he sort of tapped my chest, so I think there was a little bit of respect there maybe – so he was alright.”
Rob Holding’s career after leaving Arsenal
That Costa battle in the 2017 FA Cup final cemented the English defender’s place in Arsenal folklore.
Although Holding was a big fan of Arteta, a move away was almost inevitable after his performances in the 2022/23 season run-in.
Holding has spoken highly of the way Ben White conducts his defending since leaving the club for Crystal Palace last season, but minutes in the blue and red have been limited for him due to the excellence of both Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen.
Under new boss Oliver Glasner, he will be eyeing up more minutes next season with just the one Old Trafford cap to his name so far, although injuries post-Arsenal haven’t been kind to Holding.
Speaking on Harry Aikines’ Gym Chat podcast, the former Arsenal defender shared details of his current situation in the team.
“I’ve come to Palace and I’m sat in the supportive role because Joachim Anderen and Marc Guehi are playing so well and we’re getting clean sheets. I can’t then be knocking on the gaffer’s door
“It’s something I’m used to it, I know how to deal with it. I’m not going to be a toxic person around the changing room because of it.”
As Arsenal fans became enamoured with, perhaps his remit next season will be to raise his hand upon entering the pitch for a five-at-the-back set-up at Selhurst Park with twenty minutes to go
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