On 24 November 2008, Arsenal made Cesc Fabregas their captain, replacing defender William Gallas.
Gallas, a centre-back who joined the Gunners from Chelsea in September 2006, had held the captaincy for just over a year, but it was a year shadowed by controversy.
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in Fabregas' first match as captain.
Injuries limited Fabregas' time on the pitch, however, and Arsenal limped to a fourth-place finish in 2009 and a third-place finish in 2010.
In the summer of 2011, Fabregas finally made the switch to his Barcelona for a transfer fee of ÂŁ29 million plus incentives.