Martin Odegaard is the first Arsenal captain to lift the Premier League title since Patrick Vieira.
It would be fair to say he is a very different kind of leader to the Invincibles skipper. Odegaard isn’t the most vocal of captains, but rather leads by example, setting the tone on the pitch in and out of possession. His performances this season, four goals and multiple Man of the Match awards, do most of his talking for him.
Picture of Arsenal player Martin Odegaard celebrating his goal vs Manchester City with teammate Kai Havertz, overlaid with his stats from the game
Credit: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
But every dressing room needs its shouters too. And speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the game against Leeds, Odegaard was happy to name the players who fill that role at Arsenal.
Asked who the loud ones are on the pitch, he said: “Yeah, I would say probably Declan [Rice], Big Gabi [Magalhaes]. They’re a bit more like the shouting guys, you know, especially on the pitch. But it’s good to have different qualities, you know.”
They are probably the two most people would expect — Declan Rice and Gabriel. Rice in particular is someone many fans and pundits think should actually be the captain, but the player himself is adamant Odegaard is the right man.
Gabriel, meanwhile, is the vocal leader at the back, making sure everyone is switched on and organising the defensive line. His reaction to the collision with David Raya against Wolves last season perfectly encapsulates his personality.
It also goes to show how many leaders Mikel Arteta has in this squad now. Odegaard may wear the armband, but Arsenal don’t necessarily rely on a single captain. Rather, they have a leadership group, consisting of Odegaard, the vocal leaders Rice and Gabriel, the vice-captain Bukayo Saka, and the other experienced standard-setters Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, and David Raya.
That distribution of responsibility is one of the reasons this squad handles adversity so well. When things go wrong, there are enough different voices in that dressing room to address it without Arteta having to do it all himself.