25 February 2023 , 19:06
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta can be quite the disciplinarian and is a big fan of leadership within his Gunners squad.
Before a ball had been kicked this season, he named Martin Odegaard as the new captain of the club at just 23 years of age. Weeks later, it emerged that Arteta had actually implemented a new leadership ground that included Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus as vice-captains.
With that in mind, it came as quite the shock when Oleksandr Zinchenko donned the armband for Arsenal's 1-0 win away at Leicester on Saturday afternoon. However, the reason behind why Arteta went against his usual hierarchy is a touching one, with the club releasing a statement explaining the decision shortly before kick-off at the King Power.
The statement read: "Alex Zinchenko is our captain today, as a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine."
The armband that Zinchenko wore was a yellow and blue one, the national colours of Ukraine.
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Following the full-time whistle, Arteta addressed the gesture as he told reporters: "We wanted to win for him, for his family and loved ones and all the people in Ukraine who have inspired the world with this fighting spirit they have shown for over a year now."
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It has since been suggested by some that the idea to hand Zinchenko the armband was actually the idea of captain Odegaard, which is an incredible testament to the kind of team spirit coursing through the Arsenal squad at the moment.
Zinchenko is clearly a leader within the group regardless of whether he usually wears the armband and he enjoyed a stellar performance at the King Power that saw him deliver a number of trademark line-breaking passes.
Arsenal's win means they maintain their status as Premier League leaders and Arteta could barely contain his delight at the way his side controlled proceedings.
"We dominated the game almost from start to finish. In general I think our play and understanding of spaces was excellent," the Spaniard claimed. "We lacked that final pass to score more. We had the decision with the disallowed goal which was frustrating to take, but to restrict Leicester to one shot at home is great."
The game saw two of Arsenal's January signings start from the first whistle in Leandro Trossard and Jorginho, with both impressing Arteta, who said as much after the game.
"They are two players that already have experience in our league and are really intelligent to understand what we demand. They have the personality to play at this level."