Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are doing extremely well in the Premier League at the moment and are in the race with Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.
Arsenal are at the top of the Premier League table with 64 points from 28 matches. The Gunners are level on points with second-placed Liverpool and are a point ahead of defending champions Manchester City in third.
The Gunners beat Brentford 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League this past weekend. Declan Rice scored one of the goals for Arsenal in the London derby.
Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks has included Rice in his BBC Team of the Week.
The pundit has noted how good the 25-year-old has been for Arsenal since his £100 million (ESPN) move from West Ham United in the summer of 2023.
Garth Crooks praises Arsenal star Declan Rice
Crooks wrote about Rice on BBC Sport: “If Arsenal were to lift the Premier League title then Rice will have had an awful lot to do with it. It won’t merely be down to his beautifully timed run into the box and headed goal against Brentford, but the support he has given to their midfield and especially to Martin Odegaard.
“Having dispensed with the services of Granit Xhaka, who was a good player but a loose cannon, and replaced him with Rice, who is a safe pair of hands, it could ultimately be the turning point in Arsenal’s fortunes.
“The Gunners splashed out on Rice to the tune of £105m, which appeared at the time a ridiculous sum of money but a statement of intent to their fans and more importantly to their competitors.
“Meanwhile, they currently sit on top of the Premier League table and insist they be taken seriously as title contenders. However, should Arsenal win the title, Rice will have been worth every penny.”
My View: Declan Rice has transformed Arsenal
In my opinion, Declan Rice has played a big role for Arsenal this season. I think that one of the reasons why the Gunners have been so consistent and so solid is because of Rice.
The 25-year-old is one of the best defensive midfielders around. At Arsenal, he has also been given the freedom to go forward depending on the situation.
The England international midfielder has scored six goals and given five assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League this season.
Rice is an imposing figure in the middle of the season. He sniffs out danger at the right time and is also able to make the right passes forward. I think that he is a gem of a footballer.
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