I have full confidence in Granit Xhaka as captain, admits Unai Emery

Granit Xhaka joined Arsenal in 2016 and was recently chosen the captain through players votes. He heads the leadership group along with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazatte, Hector Bellerin and Mesut Ozil. Sky Sports state that Unai Emery has complete faith in their Swiss captain. Xhaka has made 141 appearances for Arsenal and has become one of the central figures at the club.

"They (the players), with the vote, it gave him confidence and I also gave him that confidence after that. And now - small things or big things - we are going to work individually and collectively to be strong. And also to show our supporters, and to show in our way, how we can be strong with all the players and that captain. I also have big confidence and trust in every player, the captain [and the others] because I think now in the dressing room we have a very good spirit," said Emery.

Arsenal lie 4th in the Premier League table after their 1-1 draw against Manchester United. They now host Bournemouth where Granit Xhaka will captain the team. The North London club won comprehensively against Standard Liege in the Europa League as they managed to score 4 goals and keep a clean sheet.

"Our challenge in the season is to play for the possibility to win some titles, and the mentality [we have] is to go to the Champions League in the next year. Last year we finished outside the top four in the table but we were close. This year we want to achieve one step more ahead." concluded the Spanish boss.