“He’s getting a lot of love now and it’s rightly so" - Ian Wright believes one key aspect of Arsenal star's game is 'underrated'
Pundit Ian Wright believes one important aspect of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is "underrated", despite him getting a lot of love now. Wright praised the English midfielder for his consistency, which helped the Gunners compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Speaking to The Mirror, Wright opined that Rice's consistency is one aspect of his game that is quite underrated. He credited Rice for Arsenal's transformation this season.
"Ben White has been magnificent, but I think the transformation in our team has been Declan Rice. He has to get a mention. I think the reason we were able to push Manchester City even further this season is because of him and his eight, nine out of 10 performances every week. I think his levels, and his consistency is something that is underrated," the former Arsenal striker said.
Wright added that while Rice's performances have received appreciation, but the Englishman deserves more praise.
“He’s getting a lot of love now and it’s rightly so, but I still think it’s underrated. We are seeing it as normal and what the man’s doing at the moment for us is not normal, and fingers crossed, he can do it again next season,” Wright said.
Declan Rice has been one of the most consistent players for the Gunners since joining the club from West Ham last summer. In the 2023-24 season, the Englishman found the net seven times and provided 10 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.
Mikel Arteta makes bold claims about his vision for Arsenal in the future
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was named the Premier League’s Best Coach at the European Edition of the Global Soccer Awards on Tuesday (May 28). Shortly after receiving the honor, Arteta said the Gunners only want to "win, win and win" in the future.
The coach believes that the Gunners have a team full of enthusiasm and hunger for trophies, and they can make it if they give it a "real go." Arsenal finished second in the Premier League this season, two points behind champions Manchester City.
“Win, win and win, that’s what we want. We built for a few years. Right now, we have a team that is full of enthusiasm and so hungry to win trophies. We know the competition, but we believe we can do it, so we are going to give it a real go," Arteta said (via The Mirror).
The Arsenal boss also said he has been enjoying his life as a coach more than he enjoyed life as a footballer.
“I feel extremely proud, because when I decided to stop my career as a football player, I thought that all the joy and the best moments of football were gone. And I was totally wrong, because when I started my coaching and managerial career, I am loving it even more," the Spaniard said.
Arteta also thanked his players, the coaching staff and the rest of the people at Arsenal for supporting him throughout his journey.
“I feel so passionate about it and I have to thank all the players, the coaching staff and everybody involved at the football club to make my days so enjoyable, so inspiring and for supporting me in this journey that we started four years ago, that is hopefully going to take us right to the top to win many trophies,” he said.