BBC pundit hails Arsenal 25-y/o ‘getting better and better’ after Brentford display

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BBC pundit Michael Brown thinks Declan Rice is only ‘getting better and better’ with Arsenal after the England midfielder scored against Brentford in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring at Emirates Stadium in the 19th minute on Saturday. He attacked an inviting cross from right-back Ben White to head home past Mark Flekken in the away net. Rice gave the Brentford goalkeeper no chance to stop Arsenal claiming a 1-0 lead.

Rice now has six goals in an Arsenal shirt after 38 appearances since joining from West Ham United last July. The 48-cap anchor hit the back of a net just 15 times over 245 appearances in claret-and-blue. He further laid on 13 assists with the Irons yet has seven for the Gunners.

Declan Rice is only ‘getting better and better’ with Arsenal

Rice has developed a tendency of scoring important goals for Arsenal, as well. Just his goals against West Ham in February’s 6-0 thrashing and Monday night’s 6-0 drubbing of Sheffield United has Rice scored in red without it having a decisive say on the result for that meeting.

But former Fulham midfielder Brown believes Rice is improving with every outing for Mikel Arteta’s side. He firmly claims the London-born star is now an ‘all-round midfielder’, having taken his talents to a higher level since switching east for north London back in the summer.

“Declan Rice seems to be getting better and better,” Brown noted on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Is he going to be the difference? He’s not just a six, he’s an all-round midfielder.”

Declan Rice has more than justified his club-record transfer

Rice settled straight in at the Emirates last summer and has remained a pivotal part of their plans. The midfielder has more than justified Arsenal spending a club-record fee on a move. Only centre-back William Saliba has registered more Premier League minutes than Rice has.

Saliba and Rice are further the only players Arteta has started in all 28 of Arsenal’s Premier League games yet. His leadership in the engine room and ability to control all phases of the match are proving vital to the Gunners contending for the title and now topping the table.