Declan Rice proving Arteta right and the haters wrong
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 21 Oct 2023 20:38 BST
- 4 min read
Declan Rice was the catalyst to Arsenal’s recovery against Chelsea on Saturday, with the Gunners salvaging a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in large part to their most expensive signing.
When Mikel Arteta sanctioned the club to pay close to €120 million for the England international in the summer, there were some critics who suggested that the Gunners were paying well over the odds for the 24-year-old.
In particular, the wisdom of signing a midfielder for such a vast fee when he previously had a modest record at the sharp end of the pitch at the Hammers was questioned.
Rice, after all, had scored only 10 Premier League goals for David Moyes’ side, despite having made over 200 appearances in the competition for the club.
After only nine Arsenal matches in the Premier League, he has a couple of goals to his credit already. Keep this up and he will have surpassed his career tally, which spanned over eight seasons, in just a single campaign at the Emirates Stadium.
The composure with which he took his goal against Chelsea was admirable. Of course, the focus is on Robert Sanchez’s wayward pass, which presented possession to the England star. But while the goalkeeper was out of position, there was still much work to be done as he planted the ball into the corner of the net from something like 35 yards out.
It was a pressure moment, too. Arsenal were trailing 2-0 and were toiling to find a breakthrough against an opponent that had received a stroke of luck themselves when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross looped over David Raya and into the goal.
Rice, who was at Chelsea's academy as a kid, dealt with the pressure admirably and set the scene for Leandro Trossard to equalise from close range some minutes later, securing a precious point that had looked unlikely.
This finish from Declan Rice 😍 pic.twitter.com/ZbGNYTFYbU
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) October 21, 2023
Rice’s attacking qualities seen by Arteta
Arteta, of course, had believed all this was possible for Rice.
In pre-season, the midfielder was allowed to play in a more attacking position, and after a successful trial against Monaco early in August, the Spaniard was satisfied with the Englishman’s capability to perform in advanced areas.
“He played more as an attacking midfielder today. It was the first time that he’s played there and he’s in the journey to get back to his best and adapt to the team,” Arteta said at the time.
“He has the versatility to play different roles and it’s something that we want to do to maximise the quality of other players who have the ability to play together. We will use him in different positions.”
Arteta has been true to his word, and Arsenal are reaping the benefits, with Rice’s strike against Chelsea arguably his best moment yet in his new colours.
