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Declan Rice’s evolution at Arsenal has earned him Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard comparisons
Declan Rice after his impressive goal against Dinamo Zagreb has drawn comparisons to Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard.
The 26-year-old scored his third goal of the season in style as he hammered Kai Havertz's pass past a rooted goalkeeper.
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Rice quickly became a fan favourite at the Emirates after his £105m signing from West Ham United in July 2023 thanks to his gut busting runs and majestic tackles.
But what fans have been most impressed with is his improvement as an attacking outlet.
Mikel Arteta deployed the England International as a left sided eight, often partnered by Thomas Partey or Jorginho who sat deeper in midfield.
This gave Rice the freedom to display his powerhouse abilities and drive forward with the ball at his feet.
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With seven goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season the midfielder proved why Arteta favoured him closer to goal.
And he has continued to be pivotal in the way Arsenal attack and eventually break teams down.
Currently he has three goals and five assists in all competitions this campaign.
Commenting on Rice, Clive Palmer said on the Inside Gooners podcast: “When he came [to Arsenal] he came as a true stand still in front of the back four six but now he’s looking like a really aggressive eight that gets shots.
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“Rather than being a Paul Scholes behind the ball, he’s turning into a Frank Lampard ahead of the ball.”
What many football spectators definitely did not see coming was Rice whipping in corners to large success.
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Usually a winger or number ten takes on corner duties but Rice has been delivering them on a plate for the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes to head in.
After the Dinamo Zagreb match Arteta spoke on Rice’s form. He commented: “His intent, his purpose, especially attacking the positions he is taking and how he's driving with the ball.
"There is another bite to his game and today he could have scored two goals. In the last few weeks he had some big, big open chances to score to affect the game, so overall, I'm very happy because we need to affect the game from those positions and he’s certainly capable of doing that."
He went on to say that Rice is a ‘consistent’ and ‘reliable’ ‘big player’ for Arsenal.
“He's always there, and when he can create those sparks, those moments, in the opposition's box, it's a great thing to have,” said the Spanish manager.
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