That mid-season winter break seems to have done Arsenal the world of good because they have stepped up a level since their return.
On Monday night, Mikel Arteta watched his players well and truly obliterate bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United.
Declan Rice got on the scoresheet once more and Michael Owen proceeded to compare him with Steven Gerrard, as he told Premier League Productions (04/03/24 at 10:10 pm).
The former striker spoke about the various roles Steven Gerrard could play during his days at Liverpool and he feels Arsenal’s club-record transfer can also play ‘everywhere’.
As a youngster, the £240k-a-week star was deployed as a centre-back, but as he started to play regularly for West Ham United, he became more of a midfield machine.
That has now translated to Declan Rice being one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the league and a player at the top of his game, with Jamie Carragher labelling him ‘very underrated’.
Even though he was signed for such a hefty transfer fee, all of that hasn’t bothered him at all because he is breezing through games for his Premier League title-chasing side.
Declan Rice scores again for Arsenal
“He is a real allrounder, isn’t he?” said Owen. “He’s a great holding midfield player, who was played a little bit further forward (against Sheffield United), making those runs when the ball was chopped back in.
On Rice’s goal: “The ball bounces just in front of him, he has to control this one and knock it into the ground. It’s a lovely finish and the perfect area to be aiming for.
“You could play this lad everywhere. Steven Gerrard, I played with, he was another one. He could play right-back, centre-forward and centre-midfield. Anywhere.
“Just a brilliant player. He has a brain. Great athlete. He can play as a holding midfield player, then you play him a little further forward and he creates. He scores and is just a talented boy. Even though he cost all that money, he is still one of the signings of the season.”
PFA Player of the Year?
England are blessed that a number of their star talents could be up for this award by the time the season is out.
Phil Foden is having the time of his life after he downed Manchester United on Sunday, whilst no player has more goal contributions than Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa.
All three are expected to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024 and all three can win trophies by the end of the season.
European competitions, the Premier League and the FA Cup are all up for grabs for these players at their respective clubs.
Either way, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of them is walking away with the PFA’s Player of the Year.
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