Arsenal star Declan Rice is one of the best players in the world.
The Englishman joined the Gunners in a record-breaking deal in the summer of 2023. Mikel Arteta paid a lot of money for him, and Rice hasn’t let him down.
Against Bournemouth on Saturday, Rice stepped up once again. He returned to his number eight role and was absolutely brilliant there.
The Arsenal number 41 scored a lovely goal to give his side the lead as well, and he deserves every praise he gets.
Michael Owen, who has played with and against some legendary players in the past, has spotted a rare trait Rice possesses.
Michael Owen praises Arsenal star Declan Rice
Declan Rice was already one of the best midfielders in the Premier League when he was at West Ham.
The Englishman was the Irons’ best player, and he produced several incredible performances for them in the defensive midfield role.
Rice was incredible for England as a number six as well and played a big part in helping them reach the latter stages of the Euros and World Cup.
Since coming to Arsenal, however, Arteta has used him in a more advanced role on plenty of occasions, and Rice has been fantastic there as well.
Owen, who played with incredible midfielders like Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, claimed that Rice possessed a ‘rare’ trait where he is ‘equally good’ as a six and an eight.
He said about Rice on Premier League Productions: “It’s quite rare that you’re equally as good in two different positions.
“He’s a very, very good number six, but obviously when Partey comes in – he’s a fantastic player himself – it gives Rice license to push forward. He’s got legs, he’s brilliant on the ball.”
Mikel Arteta knows which is Rice’s best position
Arteta has used Rice as a defensive midfielder and in a box-to-box role over the last 18 months, and he would’ve learnt a lot about him in that period.
Owen is right, Rice is equally good in both roles, but for the way Arsenal play, he should be used as a number eight going forward.
That’s because nobody else in the Gunners’ squad has the running power that the Englishman does. When he is given the license to go forward, he is almost unstoppable and causes all sorts of problems for the opposition.
Rice as a six becomes a necessity if Thomas Partey is unavailable and Myles Lewis-Skelly cannot be moved into that role from left-back.
At all other times, the former West Ham man should be deployed in a box-to-box role to bring the best out of him.
