"The way he has connected with the fans is brilliant" - Lee Dixon refers to Arsenal star as the 'captain without the armband'

Arsenal legend Lee Dixon has heaped praise on summer signing Aaron Ramsdale and his performances so far for the Gunners. Ramsdale joined Arsenal from Sheffield United in the summer in a deal worth around £30 million, a transfer fee that brought much backlash from fans and pundits alike.

However, the Englishman has since silenced his critics with his performances for the club.

Dixon was asked about Arsenal's current captaincy situation given the controversy surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The former Gunners defender was quick to point out Ramsdale's leadership abilities. He said:

"I'm not a massive fan of having forwards as captains. It doesn't sit right with me. I think Tierney is the future captain but I'm not sure if now is the right time. But he [Ramsdale] is a captain without an armband. He doesn't need an armband on him, he is leading from behind."

"Dave Seaman is my best mate and we talk about him a lot. He is hugely impressed with what he sees with what he is doing with his hands and his position and his playing out from the back. The way he has connected with the fans, and the away fans at times, is brilliant, so he is playing a captain's role at the back."

Ramsdale has kept nine clean sheets in 16 league appearances for Arsenal, which is joint third-highest in the league. The Englishman has also pulled off some spectacular saves over the course of the season while also showcasing his distribution abilities.

"It has got to be up there" - Dixon on the place of Arsenal's young core in Europe

Arsenal's young core have had a great season so far.

Dixon was also asked about Arsenal's young stars and their performances this season. The Gunners are the youngest squad in the league with an average age of 23.

The likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have all massively impressed this season and Dixon was asked whether Arsenal's young core was the best across Europe. He said:

"It has got to be up there. I think great credit has to go to Arteta for giving these players opportunities. It is a gamble. Not many clubs go down the route of signing players under 23 years of age when you have youngsters coming through at the same time."

He added:

"They are a very, very young side and with that comes the risk of inconsistency, which we have seen from other teams but also this side this season."

Parlour also gave the club credit for backing Mikel Arteta's plans for the season. The Spaniard has shown a lot of faith in younger players, which could have been a risky move. He explained:

"For him [Arteta] to come to the club with a list of players, and you look at the age groups of those players, it would be quite easy for the club to say, 'That is a big risk, we have little experience, how are we going to go through the tough months or a bad run?' But they have stuck by Arteta's plan and great credit has to go to the club for allowing that policy because it is paying off now."