Declan Rice given key new Arsenal role by Mikel Arteta amid striker crisis | OneFootball

Arteta feels Rice’s height and physically further forward will be crucial in the title race

Arsenal famously have a dog at their training ground - but now they have ‘The Horse’ too.

That is the nickname that has been given to Declan Rice by his team-mates due to his endless energy and ability to get around the pitch.

Watching Arsenal at Leicester on Saturday, it was easy to see why Rice was christened with his nickname and how important a player he will be for the Gunners in the coming weeks.

Rice offered Arsenal a presence in the box before Mikel Merino came on as a makeshift striker

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Starved of attacking options, the need for Rice to get forward is greater than ever and it was one of the key features of his performance at the King Power Stadium.

Leandro Trossard, who started as a false nine, often dropped deep to receive the ball and Rice was charged with bombing on and filling the space left by the Belgian.

Without the tall figure of Kai Havertz, Arsenal needed a presence in the box and Rice offered that, going close with a first-half header after arriving late.

The midfielder has one goal in the Premier League this season and Arsenal need him to add to that over the coming weeks.

Rice has the ability to do that and he finished last season with a career best of seven goals and eight assists in the Premier League.

“When he goes in the opponent’s box, he’s got that smell and ability to put the ball in the back of the net,” Mikel Arteta has previously said of Rice.

Rice’s average position against Leicester was the furthest forward of Arsenal’s midfield, even more so than captain Martin Odegaard, and that will likely continue if Trossard stays as the central striker.

When Mikel Merino came on at Leicester, the need for Rice to push high was eased as the attack then had a focal point more in keeping with what Havertz brings.

Rice was signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2023 to predominantly play as a No6, but his future now looks like being at No8.

Since the turn of the year, he has started nine of Arsenal’s 12 games. In only one of those has Rice played at the base of midfield.

Rice now looks back to his best after a slot start to the season

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“My strongest position is No6 - I’ve built my career on that - but when Mikel says he wants me to play No8, I am excited to get up the pitch, score goals and drive with the ball,” Rice said last March.

The 26-year-old had a slow start to the season, perhaps in part due to his gruelling summer. Rice was ranked No1 at Euro 2024 for distance covered and minutes played as England made it to the final.

A toe injury around November time hampered him too, but he now looks back to his best.

Deployed as a No8, Rice is able to press from the front - using that energy his team-mates rave about - and winning the ball high up the pitch is beneficial for Arsenal right now.

A lack of attacking options hurts their creativity, so if they can win the ball high up the pitch and catch teams on the counter when their defence isn’t set, it will make a huge difference.

Rice enjoys the licence he has as a No8 and the fact he is essentially off the leash - a horse, so to speak.

“Do you know what, I just get excited,” said Rice last month, when asked about his pressing. “I just get that extra bit of energy to just keep going.

Rice has said the secret behind his non-stop running is pancakes. Before every game he has at least four, smothered in syrup or honey.

Whatever the secret is, there is no denying that Rice has unexpectedly become a vital cog in Arsenal’s attack.

And, if Arteta’s side are to keep going with Liverpool down the home stretch, Rice will be a key reason why they are able to stay the distance.