A unanimous decision was reached among the Arsenal squad last summer for Martin Odegaard to remain club captain. Following a less-than-stellar performance against Wolves, despite a 2-1 victory, some fans have been questioning whether a change in captaincy might be necessary.
The Gunners' win relied on two own goals, with the winner coming in the 94th minute. Odegaard, who had been sidelined due to injury, only came on as a second-half substitute. The post-match actions of Declan Rice sparked debate among some fans about whether he should take over the captain's armband. A video clip shared on social media showed Rice expressing his frustration at the team's performance, despite the win.
He was seen having a brief exchange with team-mate Gabriel Magalhaes before heading towards the tunnel.
As part of Arsenal's leadership group, such a reaction from Rice is not unexpected. However, this does not reflect negatively on Odegaard's role as captain.
The Norwegian continues to wield the armband and exerts influence in various ways, making him an effective leader.
It's understood that the current Arsenal skipper addressed the squad following the match and is working tirelessly with his colleagues and coaching staff to ensure that any errors committed become a thing of the past. Similarly, he has shielded the younger squad members during the more challenging periods of the campaign, including against Wolves.
Shortly after confirming his appointment to the captaincy, Mikel Arteta detailed precisely the attributes that resulted in the Norwegian's selection as leader.
"Martin has got hundreds of qualities and everybody who has come across him will notice them very quickly," he said.
"The biggest one is that to be named captain, to be respected and especially admired by somebody, he doesn't need to shout. That's a massive quality. A lot of people talk and shout, and then when you close the door, they do something very different.
"Martin doesn't need to open his mouth and everybody says 'he's my captain, I want him to represent, I trust him 100 per cent, he's the guy I want to have next to me.'"
The Arsenal boss then revealed the atmosphere within the camp following the meeting to determine the captain: "By a mile, by a big, big 100 marks, everybody chose the same person, which is Martin Odegaard, which is the most clear sign that you can have, how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.
"So, I mean, there's no question about that."
When Odegaard is unavailable, Arsenal reportedly have a leadership group of four other individuals who can assume the role. These four are said to be Bukayo Saka, Rice, Gabriel and Mikel Merino.
During Odegaard's recent injury spell, it has primarily been Saka who has donned the armband.
Even Rice himself has openly expressed his views on Odegaard's role and his opinion of him as the club's captain.
"Yeah, he's incredible, he's our leader, he's our captain," he said earlier in the season. "He trains every single day, he plays every minute of every single game, he's one of the best lads I have seen away from the pitch in terms of how he lives his life.
"He's got the full respect of the dressing room, the way he demands, the way he drives the team, the way he speaks. You wouldn't see him as that type of character, but he really is behind the scenes.
"He's been amazing for us, I wouldn't want anyone else being our captain, and I think the lads, you know, feel the same way about that as well. Obviously, everyone has a dip in form. I've had dips in form before as well, but it doesn't matter because he can deliver on the biggest stage."