Arsenal have named their side to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday and bar the changes to the side, some eagle-eyed supporters will have noticed that there was another big change. That was in the choice of captain for the clash, with a new face holding the armband.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was named as the skipper for the game against the Foxes, despite usual club captain Martin Odegaard starting. Both have displayed their leadership quality so far this season in an area that has been under scrutiny across recent seasons.
Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both lost the captaincy over the past few years and the lack of a named armband holder for the rest of the previous campaign left uncertainty about the role. Odegaard was given the nod from Mikel Arteta, having already been Norway's national team captain at just 24-years-old.
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"What I’ve seen over the last 18 months he’s been at the club with us – he represents the values of this football club, of this team, of his teammates and staff in the best possible way," The manager said on the decision earlier this season. "His desire and ambition to take this club to a different level, to push this team, to contribute."
The Norwegian has stepped up to the plate, but another leadership figure has been in the arrival of Zinchenko from Manchester City. The versatile defender has helped transform the side with his quality, but the example he sets and the experience he has in winning titles has been crucial too.
Zinchenko was then named the captain for the clash with Leicester City over Odegaard, with reports claiming that it was the playmaker's decision. The club explained that the decision was in respect to mark one-year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying: "Alex Zinchenko is our captain today, as a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine."
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