Declan Rice, the evolution of Arsenal’s Mr Everything

Arsenal knew Declan Rice was not a player to classify when they signed him from West Ham United in the summer of 2023.

While most saw the England international as a defensive midfielder, Mikel Arteta was aware that Rice could play a more multifaceted role in being the beating heart of Arsenal.

The Arsenal manager was right.

Early in their relationship, Arteta compared Rice to a lighthouse.

“He’s someone who brings a focal point, clarity and direction to everyone,” the Spaniard said when asked to explain what he meant in his press conference ahead of tonight’s game against Brentford. “Just look at him and you know where you need to go. He has that presence, that aura and that character to be that person and play that role in the team.

“That’s how I perceived him, that he could potentially be a beacon (a focal point). And now he’s become a beacon, which is very difficult to do at a big club like Arsenal, but he fully deserves it. He’s done it every step of the way, above all, by behaving, by playing, and with performances and attitude that are at the highest level.”

One of those behaviors is showing up on the field, and that’s Rice’s desire to evolve since she made that decision two and a half years ago.

Rice, playing for West Ham, with Arteta, months before joining Arsenal in 2023 (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Most of his first six months in north London were spent playing as a number 6, before moving into a more box-to-box role in the second half of his first season. He became Arsenal’s shot-stopper in January 2024, initially racking up assists, until scoring his two stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid in March this year – the second being nominated for the 2025 FIFA Puskas Award.

This evolution has continued in other aspects of the 26-year-old’s game, from his ball carrying to the way the arrival of Martin Zubimendi has allowed him to occupy different spaces.

This growth was publicly recognized earlier this week, as fans across the UK voted him the Football Supporters’ Association Men’s Player of 2025.

This manifests itself in other forms. Last week’s 3-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich was the first time he donned the captain’s armband for Arsenal. In his possession for 13 minutes after Bukayo Saka’s exit and before Martin Odegaard’s arrival, for those familiar with Spider-Man’s history, it was as if the symbiote had taken over. This is what happens when the regular Spider-Man transforms into a more powerful and vengeful black-suited antihero.

Rice’s words after the match rang true to this, as when discussing his crunching tackle on Harry Kane, he said: “I see anger in our players this season.»

Asked before the Chelsea game how Rice has developed as a leader, Arteta said: “He was captain at West Ham. He comes here to a new club, a new environment and things were already settled, but he has earned the right to increase this role.

“To be more and more important, to be very present in everything we do, he is in the leadership group, which is very important too. He is a real presence. He does not need to wear the armband to feel really connected, really powerful and really important in the team.

Zubimendi hands Rice captain’s armband against Bayern (Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

The same can be said for many players in the Arsenal squad. Odegaard is respected as club captain, but Saka, Gabriel and Mikel Merino have also worn the armband at different times this season to guide the ship with the main man injured. At one time there was a clear distinction between Odegaard being the leader by example and Granit Xhaka being the vocal leader who didn’t need the armband, but having so many players capable of leading games has been crucial to Arsenal’s consistency.

For Rice, consistency was a major goal heading into this season. In an interview with Athletics During pre-season he admitted he had a slow start to the season before getting back into his stride after the new year. Load management helped him find freshness around this time last year and has been used at times this year to help him remain one of Arsenal’s most consistent players.

But as has been the case in each of his seasons at Arsenal, there is no time to slow down.

“Probably a year or two ago, yes,” Arteta added when asked if this was what he envisioned as the best version of Rice. “But now that we’re with him every day and understanding him and connecting with him like I did, we’re going to get more. Because he wants more, the team knows him better, his role grows around the team. The impact he has on the team is huge.

The Arsenal manager couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he first felt these feelings, but for those who watch Arsenal regularly, Rice’s first two appearances for the club in England stand out.

The first was a pre-season friendly against Monaco at the Emirates Stadium where his stature immediately made him stand out in midfield. That July evening, he completed two breathtaking runs that made him feel like something different. The second came a week later during the Community Shield against Manchester City. Played in this more box-to-box role, his anticipation and ability to chip away at ground to put pressure on Rodri and Bernardo Silva were immediate signs of what he would bring.

The desire to do more has manifested itself in subtle ways recently. Brentford’s visit highlighted the number of long throws made this season, with their defender Michael Kayode boasting the best long throw in the league.

Rice tried a few for Arsenal, but wasn’t as dangerous as Kayode.

When this point was made to Arteta ahead of tonight’s game, he responded: “Who is?! Everything must evolve. I don’t know how good he was a year ago, or two years ago, or three years ago. I know how good Declan was at taking set pieces (corners and free kicks) three or four years ago and I know how good he is now. So it doesn’t happen overnight. Things need to be trained, evolved and refined. And the player also has to believe in it, which is the key.

“He can be anything he wants to be. When you look at Declan, he can do almost anything you ask him to do.”

Arteta’s aim will not be to complete Rice Arsenal’s Kayode with long throws. Instead, he will continue to make himself Arsenal’s Action Man in midfield, their Mr Everything, capable both in open play and from set pieces.

Rice adds more to his game with each passing year. This has been key in pushing them to new levels, although a Premier League title has remained elusive until now.

For this to change, this theme of constant evolution will have to continue. Luckily for them, it doesn’t look like Rice wants to stop anytime soon.