Arsenal fans were left confused as clips and images filtered through social feeds seemingly depicting Granit Xhaka turning down the opportunity to take the captain’s armband from Eddie Nketiah.
The substituted Lacazette had handed the young Arsenal striker the armband when coming on and as he approached Xhaka, the Swiss midfielder was adamant he was not the one that would take ownership of it.
On Sky Sports News’ coverage, former Spurs defender Michael Dawson also highlighted the incident to the viewers which sparked conspiracy and mixed reactions when in reality it was far from what was being described. Yet, it could still provide some insight into what is to come.
football.london revealed the truth behind the events of which a detailed breakdown can be found here.
In short, Kieran Tierney simply didn’t hear the call of Lacazette as he came off and Xhaka knew not to accept the armband as the Scot was next in line to take hold of the responsibility.
Simple. However, this is not an end to the story as, despite the initial negative suggestions of the encounter, the incident has brought about a truth that will excite plenty of Arsenal fans ahead of next season.
Lacazette is due to leave the club at the end of the season, following former club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out the door, when his contract expires.
This will leave Mikel Arteta with a decision to make regarding who his next club captain will be. The honour has faced several high-profile moments of woe from Xhaka’s tantrum against Crystal Palace to Unai Emery’s contentious decision for there to be five captains in his squad.
Leadership has been a lacking characteristic of Arsenal squads in the past. Therefore, the decision for who will bear the armband for next season is an important one that Arteta must ensure he gets right.
The 2-1 win over Brentford though seemingly revealed that Tierney is due to take on the mantle of responsibility from Lacazette.
Speaking to the Arsenal website, Lacazette has already had his say on who he feels could take over in the future.
"There is some future captains," Lacazette told Arsenal media. "Gabriel, big Gabi, has got presence, leadership at the back. I think when he's going to be more fluent with English, it will help a lot.
"Ben White as well, he's more quiet maybe, but by the way he plays he can be a good leader and maybe with edge can build up.
"Sambi Lokonga, but he's already been a captain in the past so it's not hard to say he can be a good captain. Kieran as well because I think he's been a captain as well in the past for the national team a few times. You can see some future captains or leaders."
The latter named player though does seem to be the destined holder and this will also quell fears of a possible departure.
There had been links with Carlo Ancelotti continuing his interest from his time with Napoli through to Real Madrid. The attraction of a move to Los Blancos is a mighty one, however, Tierney’s recent contract extension demonstrates his attachment and commitment to the club.
Still to be confirmed, but should Tierney indeed take on the captaincy, plenty of Arsenal fans will have finally got their dream choice to hold the honour.
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