Arsenal head in to the international break off the back of an important 1-0 victory over Chelsea that further cements their grip on second place in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be focussed on their Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid after the Arsenal squad’s exploits in a busy international break.
In order to progress in Europe, the Gunners will need their key players to step up and perform and show leadership on the pitch against the giants that is Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice are big characters in the dressing and of course the current Arsenal captain is Martin Odegaard, who took advice on the role from a former team mate at the Emirates Stadium.
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Martin Odegaard revealed how Granit Xhaka helped his Arsenal career
Odegaard took the Arsenal captaincy back in the summer of 2022 after the previous club captain Alexandre Lacazette left to join Lyon in France.
The Norwegian spoke at the time how team mate Granit Xhaka advised him in the role and as per The Standard, how Odegaard learned from the Swiss international’s experience as being a leader.
Odegaard stated: “He is a good friend of mine, and we are quite close. He is someone I talk to a lot and try to learn from.
“I think he is a great player and also a great leader. Of course, I talk to him and try to get the best out of me, and everyone else as well.”
It has now been almost three years with Odegaard as the Gunners captain and whilst he is not the most vocal of captains that Arsenal have had over the years, he leads by example on the pitch with his professionalism and conduct.
Xhaka was once stripped of Arsenal captaincy back in 2019
It is fair to say that Xhaka enjoyed a rollercoaster of a career during his time in North London. Jamie Redknapp believes Arsenal are missing Xhaka currently and the midfielder had an excellent run of form under Arteta.
However, back in 2019, following a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, Xhaka had an angry exchange with the Arsenal supporters after being substituted early in the match.
Club captain at the time, Xhaka gestured to home supporters after hearing a handful of boos and then proceeded to rip his shirt off upon exiting the field. It looked as though that was going to be the end of his time at the Emirates.
Arteta persuaded Xhaka to stay at the club and he soon became an integral part of the side, in the 2022-23 season the Swiss midfielder scored seven goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League.
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