First sign of the new era? Five captains

Unai Emery yesterday named the five Arsenal players he has appointed as captains for this season.

The new manager confirmed that Laurent Koscielny, currently out injured, would be his main captain, but that he would be backed up by Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka.

Cech is expected to be handed the armband tomorrow when Manchester City visit the Emirates for the first Arsenal game in 22 years not managed by Arsene Wenger.

“In my career, I want leaders in the team. The representation for every player and in every time in the season [there is] the capacity to do that,” Emery said.

“Maybe there will be more leaders in the team to show this captaincy, not just in the captains’ group. But these five players are in this possibility to be the captain.”

Emery’s decision to appoint five captains is all part of his desire to change the way Arsenal work after he succeeded Wenger in the summer.

“It’s a new way, a new process,” he said. “The past is very important for this club with the people who were working here.

“But we are starting a new way, a new process with the same players and the new players, the new coaches. Keeping a lot of the good ideas they were working on here, and also bringing a new time to improve in the tactical things under my idea to transmit to the players my spirit and, in this way, the energy in the moment we need that.”

Emery, meanwhile, has confirmed that forward Danny Welbeck will stay at Arsenal, despite the European transfer window remaining open.

“We only have three players: Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina and Joel Campbell, with the possibility to leave,” he said. “But the other players are with us.”