Rice ‘stretches himself to limit’ before another ‘masterclass’

According to manager Mikel Arteta, injury doubter Declan Rice “stretched himself to the very limit” to play and score twice to put Arsenal six points clear of the Premier League.

The England midfielder, 26, was named in the line-up at Bournemouth on Saturday after missing Arsenal’s previous game with a knee injury.

Along with last year’s impressive free-kick double against Real Madrid, he netted twice in a game for the second time in his 375 senior club appearances.

He told the BBC, “I’ve already scored one in a game when I wanted to score another, and it hasn’t happened, but it has now happened.”

“Declan Rice was struggling the last few days, but he continued to push and push and make himself available,” Arteta said.

He was one of the best players on the pitch and played 96 minutes with two goals. That mentality must be maintained by everyone.

When questioned about Rice’s status as one of the world’s top midfielders, Arteta responded, “Yes for me.

“Declan keeps improving his game and his role in the team, and I don’t see where he can go,” he said. “He can still improve and he wants to improve.”

Only Rice has missed a fourth Premier League game since joining the club two and a half years ago, when Arsenal won the game at Villa with a score of 4-1.

Rice’s knee was still swollen and unsure whether he would be able to play, Arteta claimed when he spoke to the media on Friday.

After the game, Arteta responded, “Up until the very last minute, I asked him, “How are you feeling?” And he responded, “I’m in.” And he showed how much he was involved.

And the manager and the team both benefited from that.

After Gabriel had earlier levelled for the Gunners, Rice scored twice to increase the score from 1-1 to 3-1.

Jermain Defoe, a former Bournemouth striker, was present for BBC Match of the Day.

The former England forward said, “I thought it was a masterclass. He was “in and out of possession,” and he was “excellent even on the other side of the game,” as evidenced by his positioning and pitch geography on all of the second balls he won.

He is unquestionably among Europe’s top midfielders. He plays a crucial role in Arsenal’s title defense.

Since joining Arsenal in a more attacking midfield position at West Ham and when he first arrived at the Emirates, Rice has continued to excel.

He has completed 146 passes into the box this season than any other Premier League player.

He has the best touches, most chances, and possession times among the top 10.

Only Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard (both of whom have four Premier League goals this season) and Belgian forward Trossard are his only teammate who can match up with three assists.

Meanwhile, Rice leads Arsenal in terms of progressive carries (188) and line-breaking passes (142).

According to Arteta, “He is incredibly consistent with everything you ask him to do,” which is what makes a difference.

You need the consistency to do it, and he is doing it every day, and you see that kind of performance, he said. “First of all, he has the abilities and the qualities to accomplish that.”

Rice claimed to have scored twice in a league game after being told it was his first time doing so. “That’s a crazy statistic.

To get a brace today in an important victory was a really nice feeling because I’ve only scored two this season. It always gives off that extra special feeling when you win and you can contribute to the team like I did today.

Aston Villa is currently six points clear of Arteta’s team, but Manchester City can close the gap back to four points when they host managerless Chelsea on Sunday.

In the first nine games of January, Arteta will make the most of his well-stocked squad.

On Saturday at Bournemouth, Bukayo Saka and Trossard made their debuts on the bench.

The Gunners currently host Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals this month, along with four league games, two of which are Champions League.

The Carabao Cup would be Arsenal’s first chance to win silverware, despite their six wins from six in the Champions League and their current contention for all four titles this season.

Although Arteta’s team has improved and consistently placed second in the league, they haven’t won a trophy since the 2019-20 FA Cup in Arteta’s first year in charge.

Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, a Sky Sports pundit, stated: “Everything is going so well for Arsenal.

Although it is their least significant competition, winning the Carabao Cup will help them a little bit, but it will put some pressure on them.

“They want the league title, don’t get me wrong. It’s unbelievable if they get lucky enough to do the double. However, I believe they must simply bring home a trophy.