Arsenal star Declan Rice has been nothing short of sensational since his summer move from West Ham, and was yet again the player of the match as his side beat Brentford on Saturday.
Rice was dominant at the base of midfield, and helped spare Aaron Ramsdale’s blushes in the first half by making a goal-line clearance after the goalkeeper had given the ball away.
The £240k-a-week star has already justified his club-record fee, and has played a huge part in Arsenal reaching the top of the Premier League.
He has now been compared to captain Martin Odegaard, whose performances last season were vital to Arsenal’s title challenge, which saw them lead the league for most of the campaign.
Declan Rice compared to Martin Odegaard
BBC pundit Garth Crooks has now compared Rice’s influence to Odegaard’s last season, after including the England star in his Premier League team of the week.
“The way Declan Rice spotted that Aaron Ramsdale was in some difficulty, got behind his goalkeeper and positioned himself perfectly to clear the ball off the line was pure genius,” he claimed.
“Rice is proving to be as influential as Martin Odegaard proved to be for the Gunners last season.
“The win takes Arsenal to the top of the table and they now have a decent run of games before they face Villa and Liverpool away and Brighton at home. None of which will be straightforward but if they can remain top going into the new year anything is possible.”
Declan Rice’s influence on Arsenal
The departure of Granit Xhaka did hit Arsenal’s midfield hard, and with Odegaard struggling for form compared to last season, and Kai Havertz failing to hit the ground running, Rice has quickly become a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s side.
He has often been the best player on the pitch in both a deep midfield role as well as a more advanced one, and has also chipped in with crucial goals against Manchester United and Chelsea.
His combination of physical strength, speed and intelligence makes him an almost-perfect midfielder for Arteta, and his ability to play in multiple midfield roles has meant that he has played alongside both Jorginho and Havertz, and has consistently been a standout performer.
Arsenal look set to replace Thomas Partey in the January window, and another option coming in will only help the Englishman develop further, having quickly become one of Arsenal’s best players.
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