Martin Odegaard brought joy to Arsenal’s fan base by ensuring debutant Charles Sagoe Jr received the applause from the visiting supporters at Brentford.
The Gunners secured a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over their London rivals.
Mikel Arteta made eight changes for the third-round match at the Gtech Community Stadium.
While goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s return to the starting XI grabbed the headlines, the inclusion of academy talent Sagoe Jr also caught the eye.
The 19-year-old Ghanaian began on the right wing in place of the struggling Bukayo Saka and showcased an impressive performance before being substituted for Gabriel Jesus in the 68th minute.
After the final whistle, the young forward joined his teammates on the field to acknowledge the dedicated Arsenal supporters.
Odegaard, however, took the initiative to guide the newcomer towards the away end, wearing a broad smile on his face. Sagoe Jr was warmly embraced by the appreciative fans, making it a memorable moment for the young talent.
Social media was loving the wholesome moment, as one fan posted on X: “Odegaard pushing Sagoe Jr to our travelling fans in the away end. How can you not love our captain?”
Another said: “Martin Odegaard walked Charles Sagoe Jr. over to the away fans for a special moment on his debut. Class. Absolute class.”
A third added: “Martin Odegaard pushing Sagoe Jr to the away crowd. Captain Odegard things you love to see.”
Meanwhile one messaged: “Love this from the captain.”
And this fan simply stated: “My captain.”
Arteta was quick to heap praise on Sagoe Jr following his debut, remarking: “Obviously the context of the situation we had with a lot of injured players helped that possibility.
“But every time we can, we have to look in our academy and give chances. Charles was probably one of the most consistent players we had in the under-23s for a few months.
“He’s been training with us quite a lot, and it’s about giving opportunities to people.
“If we don’t give it today, when are we going to give opportunities to our youngsters? I’m really happy that he had a good experience.”