Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has praised Mikel Arteta for giving Declan Rice the freedom to stretch his legs and make himself available in the final third of the pitch. The French icon believes the 48-cap England international has made the position his own, delivering “magnificent” performances game after game.
Declan Rice Scored In Arsenal’s Routing Of Sheffield United
Building on their emphatic 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on February 25, Arsenal claimed a massive 6-0 win over Sheffield United on Matchday 27 of the 2023-24 Premier League season. Rice, who operated in an advanced midfield role, with Jorginho sitting behind him, found the back of the net in the 39th minute.
Latching on to Martin Odegaard’s through ball down the inside-right channel, Bukayo Saka dashed into the box before cutting it back for Rice. The English midfielder, who had made a run toward the center of the box, applied a first-time finish to steer the ball into the bottom-left corner of Ivo Grbic’s goal.
Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Haverz, and Ben White were the other scorers for Arsenal, while Jayden Bogle added to Sheffield’s woes by netting an own goal.
Thierry Henry Thrilled To See Rice Thrive In New Role
Speaking on Sky Sports after Arsenal’s win over Sheffield, Henry lauded Rice for making an impact further up the pitch, adding that he was a better player than Granit Xhaka. The four-time Golden Boot winner remarked (via HITC):
“People were talking about, and I know that I am going off to last season, okay, Xhaka last season, ‘oh he is better’. No, he is not better. He plays in a different position, so you cannot see his weaknesses where he used to lose the ball more often than not.
“Declan Rice, we know that he is magnificent there, but he playing higher than he has ever played in his career. So, obviously, he is at the end of movement to give assist and to score goals. Look at him – the run he made, you know the header against Luton when he goes into the box. He wants the ball, he is there, he is allowed because he has Jorginho under.”
Rice, who operated as a defensive midfielder at West Ham United, is enjoying his best-ever season in front of goal. The 25-year-old has featured in 27 Premier League games this term, scoring five times and providing five assists.
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