Rob Holding views Chelsea as a competitive rival next season

Rob Holding wants to fight for European football.

The Gunners missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years.

They finished eight points behind Champions League winners Chelsea last season and defender Rob Holding claims there isn’t any significant difference between both clubs.

‘I see Chelsea as a competitive rival for us,’ Holding said in an interview with The Guardian.

‘I don’t see them as a team we aspire to be like, and I don’t think they see us that way either. There’s a mutual respect between us and a recent history with FA Cup finals and playing each other in big games.

‘I don’t think that, because they won the Champions League, we need to be more like Chelsea.

‘Our results and league position need to improve, of course, but when we play each other it’s competitive.

‘We’ve got to be aiming to get back in the Champions League.

‘With no Europe this season we’ve got no distractions or fixture congestion and can really focus on our Premier League games.

‘I think Liverpool did the same a few years ago, and Chelsea similarly when they won the league in Antonio Conte’s first year. So it can be a blessing in disguise in some aspects.

‘We’ve just got to think of it that way and hit the ground running.’

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