Oh Captain! My Captain!

By James Curtis

Cesc Fabregas dodged missiles, William Gallas limped off with medial knee ligament damage, as did Manuel Almunia (twisted ankle), and Kolo Toure looked every piece his former self during Tuesday nights Champions League affair.

In the frenzy of substitutions which took place against Villarreal, Arsenal fans might be forgiven for losing track of the captain's armband, thinking Gallas might have it, or Almunia, remembering of course that stand-in captain Van Persie was sidelined with his own bout of injury, until realising that recently returned permanent captain Fabregas had it all along.

Captaincy has been a major issue at Arsenal this season, but finally there should be some clarity regarding the subject as Fabregas guides his team into the deeper stages of the season having returned from a three month lay-off. He may be captain on paper, but it needs defining on the pitch.

This is not to direct blame on Fabregas, who was sidelined not long after aquiring the armband, but it is a reminder of how important the role is and how influential the young Spaniard could be in a season still open.

The timing is everything. Back in November, Gallas was deposed for publically questioning his team-mates' bravery and went so far as to accuse one player of disrupting morale. Fabregas may have taken the reins, but Gallas continued to assert his firey attitude and along with it an improvement in his game which has been dully noticed amongst the watching faithful.

Last season, Gallas was heavily criticised for kicking advertising hoardings and breaking down on the pitch during a disappointing result at Birmingham. Clarity was as much an issue then as it is now, where Gallas may have been the captain on paper, but any dead-eye fan could see that Mathieu Flamini led the team with bulldog performance.

Fabregas returns as Gallas prepares for his time out with injury. However, his departure clears the way for one voice on the pitch in Fabregas, albeit through unwanted circumstances, seeing that Gallas has played an integral lead amongst an impressive Arsenal defensive untit of late.

It is the direction Arsenal have been looking for. Van Persie's performance levels have droped since his installement as captain and if the Gunners are likely to succeed in the cup competitions then his freedom to play is crucial. 

Also, if Toure can lead from the back as he did against Villarreal then Gallas should be replaced and his passive approach can let Fabregas guide the team.

With three assists in two games since his restoration, some of the leadership qualities in Fabregas are back with immediate impact. Wenger senses his team growing stronger, and he will be relying heavily on Fabregas if Arsenal are to upset the book-makers this year.