Chris Sutton has chimed in on a heated debate around Arsenal and Mikel Arteta that is causing division amongst those related to the North London club.
The Gunners have enjoyed an impressive start to the new season, winning eight of their opening ten matches across all competitions, conceding just three goals in the process.
Arteta’s team beat West Ham to move to the top of the Premier League table heading into the international break, and thus, the mood is positive around the Emirates right now.
That said, there are still some underlying tensions around Arsenal which are prompting some intense discourse away from the pitch.
Chris Sutton says stripping Martin Odegaard of Arsenal captaincy would be a ‘mistake’
Tony Adams claimed back in August that Arteta should strip Martin Odegaard of his captaincy at Arsenal.
The Gunners legend suggested that the Spanish manager should appoint Declan Rice, who he feels is the more vocal and natural leader.
Arteta responded by revealing that Odegaard has the support of his teammates regarding his status as skipper, while the player himself revealed that he isn’t fazed by Adams’ comments.
Speaking on the 606 Football Phone-In show on Saturday, Chris Sutton claimed that Arteta would be making a huge mistake if he followed the former Arsenal centre-back’s advice.
“If I’m Odegaard, and I think he’s been a great player for Arsenal, and I still think he’s going to have a big say this season,” the pundit said.
“But if you take the armband off him and give it to someone else, how’s he going to feel about that?
“Psychologically, will his head go? Will he not be so effective? I think that that’d be a mistake to do that.”
The captaincy at Arsenal doesn’t matter
Ultimately, who is wearing the captain’s armband won’t actually have a tangible impact on the outcome of the Gunners’ season.
It’s largely a symbolic role nowadays, and not wearing the armband won’t hinder the leaders within Arteta’s squad from making their voices heard on the pitch.
However, Sutton is correct in that stripping Odegaard of the honour and privilege of being Arsenal captain would likely have a negative impact.
This radical action from Arteta could certainly derail the playmaker’s confidence and alienate him in the dressing room.
Keeping him in this position is the sensible move from a squad harmony perspective, and thankfully for Arsenal fans, it appears that the manager agrees.
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