Arsenal have improved again this season.
The north London club were title contenders last term, but this year, they’re going to run Manchester City even closer than they did last season, while they’ve also made the Champions League quarter-finals.
Arsenal’s improvement is largely down to their investment in the summer, and the signing of Declan Rice has been transformative.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Tim Sherwood has been discussing Rice and his role at Arsenal this season, and he says that the midfielder has transformed since joining the Gunners.
Declan Rice has transformed
Sherwood spoke about Rice and how much he seems to have changed this season.
“We just heard David Moyes talking about him and why they’ve capitulated, saying it’s Declan Rice. This isn’t the Declan Rice who played for West Ham. He’s bursting forward and into the box, seven goals, eight assists, we never saw that at West Ham.
“Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal teammates have taken him to a new level, he’s an absolute manager’s dream.”
Declan Rice could be even more attacking
Sherwood is right, we’ve seen a different side to Rice this season.
The midfielder has operated in a much more advanced role at times this term as his partnership with Jorginho has freed him up to move further forward.
At times, Rice has had to play as a more defensive-minded player, especially when Kai Havertz has played in midfield, but, if Arsenal do sign another defensive midfielder this summer, Rice could play even further forward on a more regular basis.
Rice is becoming a real attacking threat for Arsenal, and if he continues to improve that area of his game, he could become one of the most complete players in world football.
Rice has improved this season, and it wouldn’t be a shock at all if this trajectory continued.