Arsenal manager Unai Emery has said that Granit Xhaka has got the nod for the permanent Arsenal captaincy following a voting session with the first-team squad. The Switzerland international has already led the team in six of the opening eight matches this term and he has now been named as the official club-captain.

Speaking in a press conference, Emery revealed that he had given the team with a list of values and qualities to decide on the next captain and Xhaka topped with the most number of votes, he told: “I gave them [a list of] values and qualities to decide the captain and we used the vote; I wanted to know their opinion on that.

“[Xhaka] is mature and he has experience, and we are living all the time under pressure, under criticism as coaches, as players, as a club. The most important thing is to stand up in each moment, go ahead and show his quality with his behaviour, with his commitment. In the dressing room the players voted for him as the first.”

The Swiss has been remained inconsistent with his performances during the opening stages of the campaign and he received the wrath of the fans during his substitution against Aston Villa last weekend. Despite this, he has continued to receive the support from manager Emery, who has stated that the midfielder has also done plenty of good things on the field of play.

Arsenal are on 11 points after the opening six matches and that sees them occupy the fourth spot on the table. They are scheduled to face Manchester United on the road on Monday night and the game should provide a strong test of their credentials. The Gunners have generally struggled at Old Trafford over the years and they have not won a league game at the stadium since 2006.