Declan Rice has now lifted the lid on how one of his more “aggressive” Arsenal teammates behaves on the training pitch.
It is safe to assume that Mikel Arteta demands real intensity from his Arsenal players in training.
Work done on the training pitch has had a huge impact on the Gunners’ campaign. Arsenal spent time at a mid-season training camp in Dubai and the work done there was massively beneficial. Arteta’s side have been in sensational form in the since the turn of the year and their return from the Gulf state.
The Arsenal players are all clearly on the same wavelength, know their roles inside out, and are comfortable with their connections and partnerships on the pitch.
Declan Rice and Arsenal master set-pieces on the training pitch
The North London club’s success from set-pieces also comes from hard work done at the training ground. In a typical week, set-piece coach Nicolas Jover may not have long to work with the players, so he must ensure that when his chance arrives that he is able to make the most of that opportunity and approach it with intensity.
Jover has been hailed for the impact that his work has had at Arsenal. The players are clearly responding to his methods, and reaping the rewards of his approach on the pitch.
Declan Rice is a key part of the Gunner’s approach to set-pieces, as he regularly takes free-kicks, and in-swinging corners from the left flank.
The former West Ham United man provided another assist against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, as he picked out Kai Havertz with a corner.
Declan Rice offers insight into Gabriel Magalhaes training behaviour
Beyond the German forward, Rice has plenty of other aerial targets in red and white to aim for, not least Gabriel Magalhaes. The Brazilian centre-back has made a real habit of chipping with goals from corners. This is something that he takes seriously in training too, it would seem.
In an interview with The Athletic, Rice recently stated “If you watched him [Gabriel] train, he scores about three of them a day. He’s so aggressive. We play against the kids, he doesn’t care. It’s like he’s playing in a Premier League match. He scores goals for fun in training. No wonder he does it in games.”
Gabriel has chipped in with four Premier League goals this season. William Saliba recently admitted that he and Gabriel compete to see who can score the most goals. So far, the 26-year-old is leaving the Frenchman in his wake.