Injury doubt Declan Rice “stretched himself to the very limit” to play and score twice to take Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League, says boss Mikel Arteta.
The England midfielder, 26, missed Arsenal‘s last game with a knee injury but was named in the line-up at Bournemouth on Saturday in their 3-2 win.
It was just the second time in his 375 senior club appearances that he netted more than once in a game, alongside last season’s remarkable free-kick double against Real Madrid.
“I have been in situations before where I have scored one in a game, wanted to score another and it hasn’t happened – but now it has,” he told the BBC.
Arteta said: “Declan Rice was struggling the last few days but pushed and pushed and pushed and made himself available.
“He played 96 minutes, scored two goals and was one of the best players on the pitch. That is the mentality we need from all of us.”
When asked if Rice was one of the best midfielders in the world, Arteta said: “For me, yes.
“Declan is constantly adding things to his game, and his role in the team, and I don’t see where he can stop because he can still improve in a lot of areas and he wants to improve.”
BBC Sport looks at how good Rice, the £100m signing from West Ham, has become.
The Villa game, which Arsenal won 4-1, was only the fourth Premier League game Rice has missed since joining the club two and a half years ago.
When Arteta spoke to the media on Friday he said Rice’s knee was still swollen and he did not know whether he would be able to play.
Speaking after the game, Arteta said: “Until the last minute, I asked him: ‘How are you feeling?’ And he said: ‘I am in’. And he showed he was big-time in.”
And that paid off for the team and the manager.
Rice scored twice to take the score from 1-1 to 3-1, after Gabriel had earlier levelled for the Gunners.
Former Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe was watching the game for BBC Match of the Day.
“I thought it was a masterclass,” the ex-England forward said. “In and out of possession he was so good, even the other side of the game, all of the second balls he won and his positioning, his pitch geography.
“He’s definitely up there with the best midfielders in Europe. He’s a key player for Arsenal in the title race.
“I think he can do it more, scoring goals, but it was such a good performance.”
Rice has continued to flourish for Arsenal in a more attacking midfield role – having initially been a defensive midfielder for West Ham, and when first moving to the Emirates.
This season he has played more passes into the box than any other Premier League player – 146.
He ranks in the top 10 for touches, chances created and times he has won possession.
Rice has four Premier League goals this season – only Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard (both five) have more for the Gunners – while Belgian forward Trossard is his only team-mate to top his three assists.
Meanwhile, Rice is the top-ranking Arsenal player for line-breaking passes (142) and progressive carries (188).
Arteta said: “He is extremely consistent on everything that you ask him to do, and that is what makes the difference.
“Firstly, he has the abilities and the qualities to achieve that, but then you need the consistency to do it, and he is doing it every single day, and then you see that kind of performance.”
On being told it was the first time he has scored twice in a league game, Rice told Sky Sports: “That’s a crazy stat.
“I haven’t scored a lot this season, I’d only scored two, so to grab a brace today in an important victory was a really nice feeling. When you win and you’re able to help out the team like I did today always adds that extra bit of a special feeling.”
Rice has scored five goals in 12 Premier League games against Bournemouth, more than double the goals he has scored against any other team in the league.
The victory takes Arteta’s team six points clear of second-placed Aston Villa, although Manchester City can close the gap back to four points when they host managerless Chelsea on Sunday.
This was the first of nine Arsenal games in January – a month in which Arteta will get good use out of his well-stocked squad.
Bukayo Saka and Trossard started on the bench at Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners have four league games, two in the Champions League, an FA Cup tie with Portsmouth and a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea this month.
Arsenal are still in contention for all four trophies this season – with six wins from six in the Champions League – but the Carabao Cup would be their first chance of silverware.
Despite their improvements under Arteta, regularly finishing second in the league, they have not won a trophy since the 2019-20 FA Cup in his first season in charge.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the former England midfielder, said: “Everything is going so well for Arsenal.
“It’s the least important competition for them, but if they win the Carabao Cup, it will take the pressure off to a certain extent.
“Don’t get me wrong, they want the league title. If they are lucky enough to do the double, unbelievable. But I do think they just have to win a trophy.
“I think it will relax them.”
