Arsenal stars Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice’s leadership skills have been the subject of discussion in recent days
Arsenal return to action on Tuesday night by hosting Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. Mikel Arteta‘s side are still competing for all four major trophies on offer this season, with a victory in the London derby fixture taking them to the semi-finals of the League Cup – a trophy they last won in 1993.
The Gunners will be buoyed by the fact they saw out a comfortable 1-0 win away at Everton at the weekend after a poor performance against Wolves threatened to derail their Premier League title ambitions. Yet, they still managed to grind out a win on that occasion thanks to a late own goal.
Arteta’s men are still two points clear of Manchester City ahead of this weekend’s return to league action, which will see them host Brighton. Now, with plenty of talk around Arsenal‘s chances of securing Premier League and even Champions League glory this season, Mirror Football takes a look at two of the latest news stories involving the Gunners.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney doubles down on Viktor Gyokeres stance after Arsenal criticismREAD MORE: All the times Arsenal failed to win the Premier League title after being top at Christmas
Rice tipped for captaincy
Wayne Rooney has backed Declan Rice to wear the captain’s armband for England once current skipper Harry Kane decides to call time on his international career. Despite Kane being the Three Lions’ usual captain, midfield powerhouse Rice has worn the armband on two occasions across his 72 senior caps, the latest being the 3-0 win over Wales in October.
Rice, who has always been reliable for England, has taken his game to the next level under Arteta, with his latest all-action performance against Everton catching the eye of Toffees legend Rooney. The 26-year-old’s remarkable playing ability and sheer desire to leave a mark on games has Rooney convinced that Rice has what it takes to lead his country.
Rooney said on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show: “I have to say Declan Rice is incredible, it was a pleasure to watch. He was by far the best player on the pitch. For me, he’s the future captain of England. He’s the one who’s probably waiting for Harry to hang up his boots at some point.
“He was all over the pitch. His decision-making – when to pass it, where to pass it, what foot to pass it to, his detail on his pass – it was a pleasure to watch. He was absolutely incredible.
“He was splitting centre-backs, taking the ball off Arsenal’s centre-backs, acting as a third centre-back, then next minute he’s in the box, trying to score a goal. Sometimes, some of the stuff he does is a bit underrated.
“He’s the right one to take over Kane for me, because of his drive, his personality. Everyone seems to love him, who knows him, who’s close to him. He’s irreplaceable for England.”
Odegaard’s leadership highlighted
Mikel Arteta has once again hailed Martin Odegaard’s leadership after the Gunners captain handed Viktor Gyokeres the ball to take Arsenal’s penalty against Everton. The Norwegian has received criticism over the past 12 months for his inconsistent form, while the likes of Tony Adams have even called for him to be replaced by Rice as captain.
Arteta, however, has repeatedly backed the player who helped him kick off his Emirates revolution, now praising Odegaard for taking responsibility and allowing Gyokeres to take the penalty when the latter has been lacking confidence due to a lack of goals.
The manager said: “They took ownership on the pitch between Martin and Bukayo [Saka] and him to decide who was the taker. They made a great decision because Viktor put the ball in the back of the net.”
Asked post-match whether this was another example of the playmaker showing his leadership, Arteta responded: “Yes I agree with that. And as well the confidence in the player [Gyokeres] because obviously he practices every day.
“He’s unbelievable at it and he put the ball in the back of the net. I love when players take ownership and decide what is the best decision. That’s something really positive.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
