The Ultimate Signing: How Declan Rice Could Revolutionize Arteta's Arsenal

During Arsenal's 2-2 draw with West Ham in April, a moment of quick-thinking from Declan Rice, the player Arsenal hopes to make their record signing, changed the course of the game just after the half-hour mark. Despite being two goals up and heading towards a victory that would have put them six points ahead of Manchester City, Arsenal were unable to secure the win.

As Kieran Tierney prepared to send a pass to Thomas Partey in the Arsenal half, Rice sprang into action, sprinting towards Partey to intercept the ball. He successfully took possession and charged towards the box, ultimately finding Lucas Paqueta with a precise pass. This play resulted in a penalty kick, which was won by Paqueta and converted by Said Benrahma, altering the flow of the game in favor of the opposition. It's possible that this moment also impacted the overall title race. All of this was made possible by Rice's quick thinking and decisive actions.

Image:

Rice is stationed inside the centre circle when he starts sprinting towards Partey

Image:

Rice reaches Partey and robs him of possession as he tries to turn

Image:

Lucas Paqueta was set up by Rice and managed to draw a foul from Gabriel Magalhaes, resulting in a penalty. This wasn't the only instance of Rice putting pressure on Partey during the game. As co-commentator Jamie Carragher noted, Rice was likely attempting to show Partey that he was willing to challenge him. It's possible that Rice may even be vying for a spot on the Arsenal team himself.

The recent play exhibited by Rice exemplifies the characteristics that make him a desirable player for Arsenal. He displayed a keen sense of anticipation, coupled with impressive speed and power, enabling him to secure the ball and create opportunities for his team. Additionally, Rice demonstrated exceptional composure in setting up his teammate and earning a penalty.

Furthermore, these skills highlight the significant progress the 24-year-old has made as a player. Initially beginning as a centre-back at West Ham, Rice has since transitioned into a holding midfielder, showcasing his effectiveness in both offensive and defensive positions. With such versatility, his market value has soared beyond £100m.

Image:

Rice's heat maps show how his West Ham role evolved

As Partey may testify, his ability to win possession is unrivalled.

Last season, Rice outperformed all other Premier League players in ball recoveries, achieving a total of 334, which placed him ahead of Rodri from Manchester City, who came in second place. Additionally, Rice made the most interceptions with a total of 63, surpassing his closest competitor by seven interceptions. While Rice has predominantly played in a double pivot with Tomas Soucek at West Ham, his exceptional ball-winning skills, combined with his physical ability and his ability to distribute accurately over both short and long distances, make him an ideal candidate for Arteta's No. 6 position.

David Moyes envisions his future in the role of a proper No. 6, as he expressed in April. This is a position that could potentially be a good fit for him at Arsenal.

Image:

Arsenal are also interested in Moises Caicedo, another versatile midfielder

In comparison to Partey, who is 30 years old with two years left on his contract and a history of injuries, Rice is only 24 and has shown impressive durability by playing in 93% of West Ham's Premier League games in the past five seasons. Partey, on the other hand, has only played in 71% of Arsenal's games in the last three seasons. Nonetheless, Partey remains a crucial player in Arteta's midfield.

Arteta understands that he cannot always count on Partey's fitness, which is why he brought in Jorginho as a short-term solution in January. However, Rice offers more than just reliability and durability in that position. He also brings exceptional ball-carrying abilities to the team.

This aspect of Rice's game was recognized by Gareth Southgate last year, who commented, "he is excellent at breaking up play, and now he has the confidence to carry the ball forward and push the team upfield." The statistics back up Southgate's observation.

Image:

Rice's exceptional talent in carrying the ball is undoubtedly one of his greatest assets. In fact, based on data from Second Spectrum, which identifies a carry as a touch event where the player carries the ball for 10 meters or more while in possession, Rice was second only to Rodri in terms of total carries last season. Additionally, Rice travelled the farthest distance with the ball in possession compared to any other player.

Nearly 70% of Rice's carries were classified as "pressured", indicating that he faced opposition players trying to take the ball away from him. However, Rice proved to be a difficult player to stop. During the Europa Conference League quarter-finals, Belgian team Gent learned this firsthand when Rice carried the ball from deep in his own half and elegantly went past three defenders to score a breathtaking solo goal.

Throughout the Premier League season, Rice demonstrated his prowess in bypassing opposition defenders through carries, totaling 214 - the fourth highest in the division. This skill, which allows him to accelerate past opponents and break lines with the ball at his feet, is a valuable asset that Arsenal currently lacks in their deep-lying midfield options. Incorporating Rice into the team would enable Arteta's side to pose a different kind of threat to their opponents.

Rice's improved attacking abilities are truly exciting. He has already scored 10 goals this season, including the impressive strike against Gent. This significant progress in his offensive output is a testament to his overall development as a player.

Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.

Open Privacy Options

After shifting from defence to midfield under Manuel Pellegrini in the 2018/19 season, he has steadily improved in all areas, including chances created, final-third passes, and shots per 90 minutes. His newfound threat is a significant factor in Arteta's confidence to use him not only as a No 6, but also potentially in the left-sided No 8 role, soon to be vacated by Granit Xhaka, who has undergone a similar positional shift.

Moyes has expressed his belief in Rice's versatility, stating that he could excel in an attacking midfield role. This is no small feat, given the unique challenges and demands of playing at West Ham.

Image:

Could Declan Rice be used as Arsenal's left-sided No 8?

Despite having an average possession of only 41% last season, which was the third-lowest in the division, Moyes' team focused on their defense due to the circumstances. However, it is important to highlight that Rice, who covered a remarkable distance and ranked behind only James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Pascal Gross of Brighton, has a significant impact on their attacking style and can play as a box-to-box midfielder.

West Ham's attacking strategy is clearly focused on their left side, which is no surprise given the impressive combination play between Rice and his fellow left-sided players. This includes Benrahma, Paqueta, Cresswell, Palmieri, Ogbonna, and Aguerd, who all contribute to the team's attacking prowess.

Image:

Rice was key on and off the ball on the left of West Ham's midfield

Image:

At West Ham, the team relied more heavily on their left side to launch their attacks compared to their right. With Rice potentially joining Arsenal, he could provide a similar link between their defence and attack on the left side. This would bring balance to their team and create a strong partnership like Odegaard and Saka on the right.

Rice's defensive capabilities are undeniable and he would undoubtedly bring stability to any team. In addition to enhancing his attacking skills in recent years, the ex-Chelsea player has made significant progress in his defensive game.

Interestingly, although he recorded fewer tackles in the previous season compared to three of his past four campaigns, Rice's ability to hold his own in one-on-one situations has improved significantly. This is evident in the reduction of the number of times he was dribbled past year after year.

During the previous season, the occurrence of being dribbled past was only 0.55 times per 90 minutes, which is three times less than the number in his first season as a midfielder in 2018/19. To put it into perspective, Partey and Rodri were dribbled past approximately twice as often per 90 minutes in the 2022/23 season.

Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.

Open Privacy Options

Arteta has emphasized the importance of versatility in Arsenal's tactics and Rice's ability to play different roles makes him a valuable asset. In a conversation with We in 2020, Arteta explained that being able to master multiple formations while maintaining the same principles is crucial for making the team harder to control and allowing for different attacking and defending strategies.

He places a great emphasis on versatility, which has become even more important over time. This was evident in his discussions about the arrivals of five out of six recent major signings, including Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard, where versatility was one of the first qualities he mentioned. It seems that this trend will continue as they target players like Moises Caicedo. Arsenal's hope is that Rice, known for his quick-thinking that shifted the momentum away from them in last season's title race, will be a key player in driving them towards success in the future.