LONDON — When Arsenal’s lineup dropped 75 minutes before kick off, replete with as many changes as you could imagine from a team with one eye on the Santiago Bernabeu, it felt significant that Declan Rice was not among those given the first hour off. If anyone had earned a break it was the hero of the hour on Tuesday, but there was more to Rice’s presence in the XI than the chance for him to get the adoration of the Emirates Stadium when the team was read out.
When Bukayo Saka’s hamstring gave way just before Christmas, with Martin Odegaard struggling to deliver at the extraordinary levels he did in the last two seasons, Arsenal were in search of a driving force. In Rice they found that. The question of whether he is a sitting midfielder or a box to box dynamo will likely never be answered, not when he is good enough to be whichever his manager pleases. What has been apparent with their attack hampered, however, is that Rice can shoulder the load in the final third.
More even than picking up Saka’s load, Rice has helped to forge an Arsenal team in his image. Look at how they threatened Brentford in this 1-1 draw that might have been more but for an instinctive finish from Yoanne Wissa in the second half. A dreary start to this game was enlivened by dangerous crosses from the right to the back post. Set pieces were a frequent headache for the Bees, none more so than when Rice threatened to follow his brace of free kicks against Real Madrid by scoring direct from a corner.
Then there was the opener, the boundless running power of the man they call The Horse exemplified as he carried the ball from inside his own third, cruising away from one challenge, holding possession just long enough for Thomas Partey to overlap and crash in a shot at Mark Flekken’s near post. Rice was the one man counter only a few nights after he had run well over six miles, coming off with an issue in his foot. It was, as Arteta put it, an “unbelievable action”.
Arsenal rarely get out and running in attack, the nature of being a team every opponent adjusts to. They might, however, when Real Madrid have to commit bodies at them on Wednesday night and if there are green spaces to drive into on the Bernabeu field, expect Rice to be hitting top gear.
It something Arteta wants to see more of “depending on the opposition behavior. I think the first half we have a few options. When we break the press, when they’re just more man-orientated and they want to take more risks to open those spaces and sets and gaps, that set-piece [from which the goal began] is a clear situation because it’s a lot of space to run.”
Only just 26, Rice has had the air this season of a player digging deeper down his talent well. He keeps springing impressive facets. The player who departed West Ham probably had that run and pass in his locker, but did he deploy it with the same frequency? Certainly his ball striking has only improved in two seasons in north London.
Rice has become a true midfield eight, his touches in the box up eight percent since Saka’s injury with similar not-insignificant upswings in expected goals, chances created and progressive carries. So many of those metrics are the sort led by Arsenal’s No.7 when he is fit. Rice has done what he can to pick up the slack.
There is another way in which Rice is reflective of Arsenal. The offensive output was good, not least the assist, but might there have been more? The Gunners ended this game with 14 shots and 0.82 expected goals (xG). It’s not a lot. It might often be enough, mind, if at the other end you’re holding your opponent to just three efforts. Arsenal now have seven Premier League games this season where they have held the opponent to 0.3 xG or below, the equivalent of one quite good scoring chance. In those matched they’ve averaged 1.61 xG. Somehow their record in them is three wins and four draws.
It was shot number three that won a point for Brentford, Wissa flicking home after a back post cross by Michael Kayode had outfoxed the hosts. It was also in keeping with the season that Arteta somehow saw his side play it out with 10 men, Jorginho limping off after the bench had been emptied. For Arsenal this season, thems the breaks.
Still this will not be an entirely wasted campaign if Rice continues on his current trajectory when Saka is fully reintegrated into this team and when Odegaard gets back in the groove. Ease the weight their midfield dynamo is carrying and imagine how far and how fast he might go.
Read the full article here
