London – When Arsenal’s alignment fell 75 minutes before starting, full of as many changes as you could imagine a team with one eye at Santiago Bernabéu, it was significant that Declan’s rice was not among which they were given the first free hour. If someone had won a break, it was the hero of La Hora on Tuesday, but there were more in the presence of Rice in the XI than the possibility that he obtained the worship of Emirates Stadium when the team was read.
When Bukayo Saka’s hamstring yielded just before Christmas, with Martin Odeegaard struggling to deliver at the extraordinary levels he made in the last two seasons, Arsenal was looking for a driving force. In the rice they found him. The question of whether it is a midfielder or a box for Box Dynamo will probably never be answered, not when it is good enough to be what its manager wants. However, what has been evident with its attack is that rice can assume the load in the final third.
Even more than collecting Saka’s load, Rice has helped to forge an Arsenal team in his image. Look how Brentford threatened in this 1-1 draw that could have been more, but for an instinctive end of Yoanne Wissa in the second half. A sad beginning of this game was encouraged by dangerous crosses from the right to the post back. The established pieces were a frequent headache for bees, none more than when Rice threatened to follow his free kick against Real Madrid scoring directly from a corner.
Then there was the starter, the unlimited power of the man they call the horse exemplified while carrying the ball from inside his own third, departing from a challenge, maintaining possession enough time for Thomas Party to overlap and crashed into a shot to the near post of Mark Flekken. Rice was the only counter just a few nights after having run more than six miles, arriving with a problem in the foot. He was, as Arteta said, an “incredible action.”
The arsenal rarely runs in attack, the nature of being a team that adapts to each opponent. However, they could when Real Madrid has to commit bodies on Wednesday night and if there are green spaces to drive in the field of Bernabéu, wait for Rice to be arriving at Top Gear.
It is something that Arteta wants to see more “depending on the behavior of the opposition. I think that the first half we have some options. When we break the press, when they are more oriented to man and want to run more risks to open those spaces, sets and holes, that established piece [from which the goal began] It is a clear situation because it is a lot of space to run. “
Only only 26 years, Rice has had the air this season of a player digging his talent more deeply. Strongs impressive facets. The player who started from West Ham probably had that race and passed in his locker, but did he display him with the same frequency? Certainly, his ball blow has only improved in two seasons in northern London.
Rice has become a true Eight midfield, its touches in the box increase by eight percent from Saka’s injury with similar non -insignificant suddenly in the expected objectives, the possibilities created and the progressive hairs. Many of these metrics are the type directed by the Arsenal No.7 when it is fit. Rice has done what he can to collect the slack.
There is another way in which rice reflects arsenal. Offensive production was good, especially assistance, but could there have been more? The Gunners finished this game with 14 shots and 0.82 expected goals (XG). It is not much. It can often be enough, mind, if at the other end you are keeping your opponent only three efforts. Arsenal now has seven Premier League games this season in which they have kept the opponent at 0.3 xg or less, the equivalent of a fairly good score opportunity. In the matches they have averaged 1.61 xg. Somehow, their record in them is three victories and four draws.
The number three who won a point for Brentford was fired, Wissa moved home after a Michael Kayode Cross Back Post had surpassed the hosts. He was also in line with the season he somehow saw his team play with 10 men, Jorginho limb after the bank had emptied. For Arsenal this season, they rest.
Even so, this will not be a completely wasted campaign if Rice continues in his current career when Saka is completely reinstated in this team and when Odegaard returns to the rhythm. Relieve the weight that its dynamo in the center of the field carries and imagines how far and how fast it could come.
