Declan Rice believes his ‘best moment’ since joining Arsenal in a club-record transfer came in September, and notes he is still ‘trying to buy into’ what Mikel Arteta wants.
The Gunners smashed the bank to lure Rice away from West Ham United after his decade in east London. But the midfielder has still seemed like a bargain after fitting like a glove in the Arsenal engine room. He is one of just two players to start in all 26 Premier League matches.
Only William Saliba has also opened each of the Emirates Stadium natives’ top-flight fixtures so far this term. The pair have also registered the most minutes under Arteta with 2,340 and 2,235 to date. While Rice is producing his most prolific Premier League term to date, as well.
Declan Rice rates his goal vs Manchester United as his ‘best’ Arsenal moment
Rice has offered Arsenal four goals and five assists through his 26 Premier League outings as a cornerstone of Arteta’s engine room. Only in the 2022/23 season when he scored four in 37 outings had he hit the back of the net as often. It was also his first with more than two.
While the 2021/22 campaign yielded his previous-best return of assists with four through 36 appearances. Rice has penned four of his five assists for Arsenal in only his past six games, as well. Three of his assists have also come from corners, while earning one from a free-kick.
The 48-cap England international’s goals have also often proven crucial. Rice scored his first in an Arsenal shirt to take a 2-1 lead over Manchester United in the 96th minute of their 3-1 win. He also scored at Chelsea whilst 2-0 behind en route to claiming a 2-2 draw in October.
Chaos also followed Rice scoring a 97th-minute winner to beat Luton Town 4-3 on the road in December. But the London-born former Republic of Ireland prospect still rates his late go-ahead goal as Arsenal beat Manchester United a Rice’s ‘best moment’ with the Gunners yet.
“To score that and watch the goal back, you can’t help but smile,” Rice told ESPN. “[It was] probably my best moment, so far.”
Declan Rice is still ‘trying to buy into’ what Mikel Arteta wants
Rice scoring and creating more goals since joining Arsenal has followed Arteta’s decision to give him more freedom on the field. The 25-year-old admits his duties at Emirates Stadium are vastly different to what David Moyes expected. But he wants to ‘buy into’ Arteta’s plan.
“My role has completely changed to what I was doing at West Ham and it has taken time to adapt, to improve [and] to ask questions,” Rice added. “I am really just trying to buy into it.
“I was bought for a lot of money [but] I want to ask questions and improve, and I want to win stuff with this club.”
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