Is William Gallas the Right Choice to Lead Arsenal?

Everyone knows that Arsenal is a very young team in the English Premier League (EPL), but the talent in their youth is incredible and a force to be reckoned with. Not only a force in the EPL, but in Europe as well.

They were the only English club to beat AC Milan at the San Siro last year, which sent Arsenal through to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. However, being a young team does have it's disadvantages such as having less experienced players without many games under their belts.

This is in stark contrast to teams such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United, who have and have had some of the most experienced players in Europe leading their teams to championship finals and winning their domestic cups. So one has to wonder, who will lead this young team with discipline and the knowledge to win the big games and make their mark on European football? 

As to who I believe to be the backbone and driving force of Arsenal's glory and power, the answer is non other than the man wearing the No. 10 shirt, William Gallas. Arriving at Arsenal in the summer of 2006 from Chelsea, Gallas settled into his new home and quickly became a leader of Arsenal's young and talented team.  

To show just how important Gallas's knowledge, determination, and leadership were at Arsenal, when Thierry Henry left Arsenal and signed with Barcelona in Spain, Gallas became the new captain of Arsenal and has remained their captain ever since.

Gallas came under some harsh criticism when they played Birmingham last year in a game best remembered for Eduardo's leg being broken in a slide tackle. He was protesting a penalty that the referee had given Birmingham in the last few minutes, ending the game in 2-2 draw.

He sat on the field even after the players had left out of protest. After that incident it was widely believed that Gallas would not be captain of Arsenal for the next season. The manager, Arsene Wenger told the press that Gallas would be captain due to the fact that Gallas learned from his mistakes that season and he deserved another chance to prove himself to his club, teammates and fans that he was the right man to lead Arsenal to the top. 

Just recently, Arsenal faced Dynamo Kiev in their opening game of the Group Stages of the Champions League in Ukraine. Arsenal was down a goal until the 88th minute when William Gallas equalized and saved Arsenal from a loss that could have potentially prevented them in the long run from advancing out of their group.

This is just one of the ways in which William Gallas has proven to be such a leader to Arsenal. Using his knowledge from when he played with Chelsea F.C. and playing with world renowned players within the French national team, he has guided his team to victories all across Europe and has helped make Arsenal serious contenders for both domestic and European championships.

I believe that we will see a lot of great things happen this year with Arsenal in the Champions League and the EPL. With William Gallas at their helm, it is not unreasonable to expect one of the best seasons out of the perennial challengers from North London.