Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack believes Arsenal are missing the experience of former Germany teammate Jens Lehmann.
"He was a leader because he was a success, he was always very professional," Ballack told The Times. "I am only looking from the outside but what I observe with Arsenal is a very young team who find themselves captained by a very young man."
On Gunners skipper Cesc Fabregas, Ballack added: "As a footballer, what he can do goes without saying. He's been involved in the first-team at Arsenal for three or four years, which gives him a lot of experience for his age. He won the European championship last summer with Spain, so he should be carrying that confidence.
"You watch Arsenal play and you see he's the one who's controlling things. I'd call him their playmaker, even if he's not a No 10. On the pitch he has a very big influence. You see that he's accepted by the other players. If he wants the ball he gets it from them. Cesc has reached a level above the other young players, so there are a lot of boys of 19 or 20 who will look up to him."
Ballack believes Fabregas still has lessons to learn.
"To be captain now is an important stage in his development, even if it has come out of a situation that nobody expected. I think from his standing as a player he can handle this job.
"But it can be hard for a young player because you don't have the experience, and sometimes you can really miss that. You can have everything else but you need experience as a captain. Still, it is a decision made by Arsène Wenger, who knows what he's doing. Cesc is appreciated and respected by Arsenal, by the fans, by the media and across this league. But normally at Cesc's age, you are not the captain."