When Arsenal needed someone to step up and push them towards an important win over Bournemouth, Declan Rice obliged, scoring twice in a 3-2 victory. The 26-year-old has done that a lot in recent times. It was a similar story against Brighton when Rice filled in to great effect at right back. He is Arsenal\u2019s go-to man in every possible situation.<\/p>\n
The development of Rice\u2019s game over the last few seasons has been remarkable. When Arsenal paid \u00a3105m to sign the midfielder from West Ham in July 2023, many believed the Gunners had landed one of the best anchors in the game. Over time, though, it\u2019s become clear they got so much more.<\/p>\n
These days, Rice can\u2019t be categorised purely as a number six. He\u2019s too forward-thinking for that. Indeed, the 26-year-old is among the best at driving forward from deep, putting Arsenal on his back to get them into the attack. There are elements of Yaya Toure to his game in that respect.<\/p>\n
As a creator, Rice has also taken a big step forward. Only Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are averaging more key passes per 90 minutes this season than the England international who has a strong case for being the most dangerous and consistent corner kick taker in the world at this moment in time.<\/p>\n
If Arsenal are to go on and win their first Premier League title since the Arsene Wenger era, it will be in no small part due to Rice. He is the best all-round midfielder in England and possibly the world. If Rodri can win a Ballon d\u2019Or, as he did two seasons ago, there\u2019s no reason to consider Rice as below that same level.<\/p>\n
At the time of his Ballon d\u2019Or triumph, Rodri was an unavoidable presence at the heart of the Manchester City midfield. He was the most important player for a team that dominated English and European football, winning an historic Treble that culminated in Rodri scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan.<\/p>\n
There was simply nobody else at Rodri\u2019s level, and the same could be said of Rice in his current form. Physically and technically, the 26-year-old is capable of controlling matches, in and out of possession, against the most formidable of opponents. Rice deserves to be mentioned among the best in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeclan is constantly adding things to his game, he’s constantly adding things to his role in the team,\u201d said Mikel Arteta after Rice\u2019s Man of the Match performance against Bournemouth. \u201cI don’t see where he can stop because he can still improve in a lot of areas and he wants to improve. He’s such a pivotal player for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice has spoken about his desire to add more goals to his game. The England international has registered four goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season, but could do more to directly impact matches in the final third. Rice has previously expressed admiration for the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Rice\u2019s upward trajectory shows no sign of slowing any time soon. He is driving Arsenal towards the Premier League title and will surely be a key figure for England at the 2026 World Cup, when Thomas Tuchel\u2019s team will be among the favourites to go the distance.<\/p>\n
World Cup glory coupled with a Premier League title would surely make Rice a contender for the 2026 Ballon d\u2019Or along with the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and the game\u2019s other superstars. Rodri set the precedent for all central midfielders of his generation and Rice has followed that precedent with aplomb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Arsenal needed someone to step up and push them towards an important win over Bournemouth, Declan Rice obliged, scoring twice in a 3-2 victory. The 26-year-old has done that a lot in recent times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":54847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[643],"tags":[272],"class_list":["post-57928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","tag-featurehome"],"yoast_head":"\n