Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard singled out Declan Rice for special praise after a stunning individual display in an unfamiliar right back position against Brighton & Hove Albion which kept the club’s Premier League title aspirations firmly aflame.
Following a dramatic withdrawal of Riccardo Calafiori in the warm-up, and with Jurriën Timber, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera already sidelined, Mikel Arteta was forced to deploy his buccaneering midfielder at fullback on Saturday afternoon.
Rice spent extensive time as a centre back at West Ham United and made one start at left back in an FA Cup third round tie against Shrewsbury Town almost eight years ago, but never before had he been called upon to fill in on the right side of defence. Any discomfort he endured was well disguised against Brighton.
“It was an unbelievable performance from him,” Ødegaard gushed after a hard-fought 2–1 win. “To play right back, probably the first time in his life, and then do it the way he did it today was unbelievable, so a really, really good performance from him.
“And that’s just our team. Everyone is ready to do whatever it takes, and that [Rice’s performance] was another good example of that.”
Arsenal’s fan favourite was forever in motion down the right flank. Bounding on either side of Bukayo Saka, Rice provided a devilish distraction to ensure that the team’s talismanic winger was scarcely doubled up on. When he was fed the ball, the set-piece expert offered plenty of threat in open play, racking up three shots while bombarding the Brighton box with crosses.
One delivery from a second-half corner skidded off Georginio Rutter’s head and beyond Bart Verbruggen to double Arsenal’s lead. Diego Gómez would pull one back for the visitors in the 64th minute to set up a nervy conclusion which had scarcely threatened to materialise over the previous hour, yet the Gunners held firm, thanks in no small part to their new right back.
Rice also embraced his newfound defensive responsibilities, revelling in the one-on-one battle with Brighton’s Ferdi Kadıoğlu during the closing stages of an engaging fixture.
After Manchester City’s victory over Nottingham Forest to begin Saturday’s fixtures, Arsenal had to win to re-establish their place atop the Premier League table. The mentality which Rice demonstrated during difficult circumstances was appreciated by more figures than Ødegaard.
Declan Rice’s Postional Experience Across Entire Senior Career
| Position | Appearances | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Midfield | 271 | 251 |
| Central Midfield | 73 | 73 |
| Centre Back | 21 | 17 |
| Left Back | 2 | 1 |
| Right Back | 2 | 1 |
Stats via Transfermarkt.
Mikel Arteta: Rice Will Play Wherever He Is Needed
Mikel Arteta echoed Ødegaard’s sentiment, lauding Rice as the embodiment of a battling ideal which is taking over an injury-riddled squad. “What I like is that we’re having a lot of issues, we’re dealing with it in an incredible way,” the Arsenal boss beamed in Saturday’s postmatch press conference.
“Yesterday we lost Jurriën, today we lose Calafiori in the warm-up, Declan has to play as a fullback and you see the performance that he put in. So, that’s the spirit and that’s how much our players want it.”
Rice is not limited to the right back role. Wherever there is a shortage on the pitch, the ever-eager England international is willing to attack the challenge.
“You speak to Declan and tell him he needs to play there as a right winger and he said, ‘O.K., I’m up for the challenge, I’m going to do my best,’ and the attitude is great to witness,” Arteta smiled.
It remains to be seen when Arteta will be able to call upon Timber, who is most likely to recover quickest, in time for Tuesday’s almighty clash against third-placed Aston Villa. If the Dutchman isn’t risked, there is an obvious candidate who will be willing to fill in as a very able deputy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Martin Odegaard Names Arsenal Player Keeping Premier League Title Race Alive.
