Leadership is something Arsenal have often been accused of lacking in the past. The old cliche about the Gunners is that they have lacked a Patrick Vieira -type captain capable of calling people out when standards are slipping.
There is a decent argument to suggest that that hasn't changed too much. Granit Xhaka is certainly someone who is not afraid to speak his mind, but the man wearing the captain's armband is someone who generally has a more reserved demeanour.
When Martin Odegaard was given the role in the summer, some questioned whether his mild-mannered style might be a problem for Arsenal's young side. If Thursday night's win over Lyon is anything to go by, they needn't have worried.
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Prior to the Dubai Super Cup clash in the Al-Maktoum Stadium, Odegaard was seen wondering around the pre-match warm up, cajoling his teammates to maintain the high standards that have helped them open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League. "Let's go Mohamed" he said before going around fellow starters Albert Sambi Lokonga, Kieran Tierney and Cedric in a multitude of languages to deliver similar messages.
It seemed to have the desired effect as Arsenal started the match with the momentum of a runaway train, racing into a 3-0 lead that could easily have been more by half time. A friendly game, where most of the world's focus was on the World Cup just an hour away in Qatar could easily have been little more than a procession, but Odegaard was keen to ensure that was not the case.
What would have perhaps pleased Mikel Arteta most about this would have been Odegaard saying "let's go boys, full gas!" Speaking to football.london in the summer before confirming Odegaard as the skipper, Arteta outlined that what was important to him in the role.
"It's more the way they want to live, the way they want to interact with each other and how do we want to be perceived as a team.," he said. "The tactical and technical decisions, it will be mainly us deciding what we want to do but obviously there always has to be that relationship, that feel from the player that what you ask him is exactly what he can do. And he feels that he can do. If not it’s not going to work."
In Odegaard, it seems Arteta has found that extension of himself on the pitch that he was craving and when you speak to players around the dressing room it's clear they feel the same way. He may not be the typical shouty, screamy, skipper, but Odegaard is a modern leader for a modern team, and is exactly what Arsenal will need if they are to resume their superb pre-World Cup form.
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