During the opening five minutes of Arsenal’s 6-0 win at West Ham United on Sunday, Declan Rice touched the ball nine times and was booed on each occasion by the home fans.
An hour later, he had assisted two goals, scored a brilliant one himself and was being applauded off the pitch by the same supporters who had been heckling him earlier.
Advertisem*nt
It was the first time the England international, who left West Ham for Arsenal last summer, had provided two assists in a Premier League game and also the first time he had been directly involved in three goals in a top-flight match.
The 25-year-old’s ability to stay calm after such a hostile early reception and go on to power Arsenal to such an emphatic victory is exactly why the club spent £105million ($130.9m) on him.
“I’m really happy with him,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “I know that it was an emotional day for him because he loves West Ham so much. But he had to focus and deliver.”
Early on, Rice’s task was to help Arsenal silence the crowd. A key part of the team’s progress in recent years has been how they ‘live’ games. Arteta routinely uses this phrase and it refers to how his players take games in the direction they want, particularly in away matches.
Rice scores from outside the box (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Rice was vital to that against West Ham as, alongside William Saliba, Gabriel and David Raya, he helped slow the game down and bend it in Arsenal’s favour.
While Raya’s quick distribution has improved Arsenal’s attack lately, this more considered approach allowed Arsenal to take control of proceedings. Passes between goalkeeper Raya and his two centre-backs drew West Ham forward and left Rice in midfield where he acted as Arsenal’s safety valve — always available for a pass in space.
This pattern unfolded so often that Rice ended the first half with more touches than any player on the pitch (59) and him giving Arsenal the chance to settle had a domino effect. From there, Arsenal’s attacking players could start moving into better pockets to progress the ball through West Ham’s press.
Leandro Trossard, who scored the 8,000th league goal in Arsenal’s history when he put Arteta’s team 4-0 up, was the biggest beneficiary of this as he began dropping into midfield from his centre-forward position to receive the ball and spray passes in behind for both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Saliba’s opener came from a corner shortly after, while Saka scored a penalty (that he had won) to make it 2-0.
Rice delivered the corner for Saliba’s goal but he did not stop there. He also swung in the free kick Gabriel nodded in, meaning he has assisted three goals from set pieces in a matter of weeks — the other being Gabriel’s opener against Crystal Palace last month.
Advertisem*nt
“(Rice taking set pieces) is something that we knew and we could imagine,” Arteta said of his player’s excellent deliveries. “It depends on who plays in the team and the height, presence and physicality we have in the box, but he certainly has the delivery. It is another thing that we can add to his game. When we have certain players on the pitch, he is a better threat outside the box than inside.”
Owning big moments, as he did at the London Stadium on Sunday, has been a major part of Rice’s first season at Arsenal. From his exceptional pressing and tracking back in the Community Shield win over Manchester City to big tackles energising the Emirates crowd against City again and then Liverpool last week, he has been a game-changer. Not to mention the last-minute winner he scored against Luton Town in December.
The former West Ham captain refuses to celebrate his goal (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
He did it again against West Ham, delivering a sensational performance against his old club despite the early booing.
The fact he received a standing ovation after that initial reception served to further highlight just how impressive his display was. Rice returned the favour at full time by applauding all four corners of the ground.
Arteta said: “(I was) really pleased to see the crowd give (Rice) the reception he deserves. He has got an environment (around him) and a family that is (both) supportive and demanding of him and he has dealt with that in a great way. He is very demanding of himself and he wants to get better. He keeps developing and we have to support him on that.”
Not forgetting how Rice became worth £105million is important and, as his career continues into its next chapter, giving him the chance to blossom even further is equally vital.
GO DEEPERInside Rice's move to Arsenal: Arteta influence, long-term plan, no transfer request(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Art de Roché began covering Arsenal for football.london in 2019 as a trainee club writer. Beforehand, he covered the Under-23s and Women's team on a freelance basis for the Islington Gazette, having gained experience with Sky Sports News and The Independent. Follow Art on Twitter @ArtdeRoche
