Arsenal: Captain Hector Bellerin everything we’ve dreamed of

There was something magical about Hector Bellerin wearing the Arsenal armband and saving the match. It’s something we’ve waited on for a long time.

Hector Bellerin‘s time at Arsenal has been extensive, it’s been amazing, it’s been frustrating, it’s been nervy. It’s been a lot of things. From him saying he would “hang up” if Barcelona called, to him flirting with the idea of leaving for that same club.

He’s gone from the fastest player in the league, to a fashion connoisseur, to a quality all around fullback, to a passing thought ravaged by injuries. He’s done a lot of things, but through it all, he’s stuck with us and we’ve stuck with him.

Now, as he approaches the point in his career where he needs to start solidifying himself as the world class fullback he’s been destined to be, he returned from his latest lengthy injury in a big way against Chelsea.

All while wearing the captain’s armband.

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I have been a huge proponent of Granit Xhaka for captain. I still regularly refer to him, only semi-jokingly, as “my captain.” But seeing the armband on Bellerin just felt right. There was no controversy. No hate. It just all made sense. Like it was meant to belong to him.

Hector Bellerin has gone through one hell of a transformation since joining Arsenal as a teenager and he’s seen one hell of a transformation from the club itself. The biggest of which is still ongoing. That’s the kind of person that would know better than most what it means to be the captain.

I could not have envisioned the ending against Chelsea any better. We were counted for dead. I was broiling watching Azpilicueta wheel away in celebration, and just when you thought we had succumbed to another heartbreaking defeat, the captain swerved in a goal that just felt unbelievable. And if you watch the reactions of Alexandre Lacazette, and others, then I think ‘unblievable’ is the best way to describe it.

There was just something special about all this. About having a captain we could all agree on. About him rising to the occasion after the future of the club had just rose to the occasion. It felt like there was a lot more to be optimistic about than a midtable standing usually allows for.

Hector Bellerin is back. And as long as he stays back, he’s one of the biggest beacons of optimism, armband and all, that I can think of.