How Arteta is getting the best from Rice

Declan Rice was a key cog in Arsenal winning the Premier League title – so how is Mikel Arteta getting even more from him this season? Rice is a rounded midfielder, but could be more selfish – Murphy The lighthouse? One of the best midfielders that Arsenal have ever had? A future England captain? These are just some of the things that have been said about Declan Rice. The Arsenal midfielder has hit the ground running this season and the praise has come rolling in. The 27-year-old has been one of Arsenal's standout performers as they have stormed to the top of the Premier League and was player of the match as the Gunners beat Liverpool on Sunday.

He already has five assists in the league this season, the most of any player, and all of them have come from open play after having his role changed by Mikel Arteta. Rice has scored and assisted 55 goals since joining the Gunners in 2023, a somewhat underrated output for a player whose energy is so commonly spoken about as his main strength. Arteta said he had a talk with Rice at the beginning of the season and told him he is no longer Arsenal's "lighthouse" – a name he had given him – and that he expected more this season. The