It is fair to say Arsenal have not had the best of luck with captains over the years.
Their main captain last season was Alexandre Lacazette, but he has now left for Lyon after his contract expired.
This left Mikel Arteta and co. needing to appoint a new captain for the 2022/23 campaign.
The man Arteta went with is 23-year-old Martin Odegaard. Some may argue that the Norwegian was to young to be named captain, but the Gunners have a very young squad that is lacking leaders.
And the obvious choice, the experienced Granit Xhaka, lost the armband when he swore at Arsenal fans after being subbed off vs Crystal Palace a few years back.
So, Odegaard was the man tasked with leading Arsenal vs Crystal Palace on the opening day of this season, a tie which they won.
And now, Rio Ferdinand is of the opinion we will see a new Odegaard this season.
Speaking on his Vibe with Five YouTube show, the former United man discussed Odegaard, Granit Xhaka, and Thomas Partey following the win over Palace. “I reckon you nailed it with Odegaard, I reckon that captain’s armband weighs heavy,” said one of Ferdinand’s fellow pundits.
The former United star replied: “Yep! Heavy! I said that in the group chat. It could be a different Odegaard this year.”
Turning his attention to Arsenal’s midfield area, Ferdinand added: “I just worry about your central midfield. Xhaka hasn’t shown that he can be relied upon for long periods consistently. Partey, is he going to be fit? Is he going to be there in that sense?”
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