Fabregas wear Arsenal captain band for the first time

As Arsenal file out against Chelsea FC in a crunch tie slated for the Stamford Bridge today all eye is on Arsenal, twenty-one year-old Cesc Febregas to shoulders the biggest burden agaist current number one on the Permiership table Chelsae FC at Stamford Bridge. The English Premier League game is no doubt the star match of the week since it is a battle between two of the big four teams in England. The two teams are London based football club, hence, this encounter is a supremacy battle in the city.

Cesc Fabregas has long been considered an ‘old head on young shoulders’. Now Arsène Wenger has pinpointed a ‘virtual’ age for the new Arsenal captain. The Frenchman handed Fabregas his first-team debut at the tender age of 16 years 177 days in October 2003. Now, a little over five years on, the influential midfielder has piled up 213 appearances for Arsenal and will lead them out for the first time in the Premier League at Chelsea on Sunday.

Only Tony Adams has captained the Club at a younger age but Wenger is not concerned about that. Although Fabregas is just 21, the Arsenal manager believes he is closer to 26 in footballing terms and does not expect the captaincy to change the Spaniard’s approach.

“I think first you want him to do his job well and not to be too worried about the rest, and that is the best way to be a captain basically,” said Wenger. “Play your game well, lead by example, and the rest comes along because I believe that he has experience already, he has [nearly] 250 games for the Club.

“Basically he is 26 instead of being 21 because a player normally at 26, 27 years of age, he has 250 games for his club. That’s why I believe, with the rest, he should just behave like he is used to.” For Fabregas, this is a tough challenge as he is expected to wear the skippers’ band in the match for the first time. The Spaniard however says he is not under pressure in this top-of-the-bill clash.

He said, “The match is just like any other match but we all know that we have to raise our game a good team like Chelsea. I don’t want to think too much about the band. I am concerned about the results we need to get to be up there on the table. “Our fans have been fantastic and we all believe they deserve more. We are working hard to get it right in all aspect and I expect a good game and good result against Chelsea.”

Arsenal has conceded five goals in the last two Permiership match. The team lost 2-0 to Aston Villa at the Emirates and also lost 3-0 against Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. Chelsea will bank on the current form of Nicolas Anelka to grab the three full points at stake. Anelka has scored 10 goals in the last nine games for the Blues. Samsung, the kits sponsor of Chelsea, has some Nigerians sponsored to London to watch this game. They are the consumers of the Samsung J700 who emerged winners in the promo held by the outfit. The promo winners are expected to meet, Didier Drogba, the model of the J700 handset.