Declan Rice once more illustrated why he is at the center of the title chasing ambitions at Arsenal with his performance characterized by its resilience, quality and leadership illustrating a dramatic 3-2 victory over Bournemouth. Bearing a knee problem which seriously threatened to send him to the theatre, the England central midfielder took himself to the edge and produced a goal-winning performance which perhaps will be recalled in time, as one of the season-defining performances of Arsenal.

Declan Rice entered the match with concerns related to his neck swelling after he was absent in the last match played by Arsenal. A build-up by Mikel Arteta himself confessed that the midfielder was still physically struggling and that a late decision would be made. Even at that time, not many had anticipated the amount of influence that would be wielded by Rice over the contest.

He seemed bent on forcing his way in the opening minutes, pushing forward with energy, and dictating the pace of Arsenal in the midfield, grabbing the ball and holding on to it. The Bournemouth tried hard but Declan Rice was able to break the play many times, take second balls and help Arsenal to stay calm. His situational discipline gave others around him to play freely whereas his serene distribution enabled Arsenal to move the ball to the midfield amidst constant pressure by the hosts.

But it is in these critical times that Declan Rice came in with the goods. As they were now at a draw, he now rushed forward at the right moments, and he demonstrated an attacking instinct which has been more and more conspicuous in his game. His two objectives reversed the tide altogether making what was originally a stressful situation into an assertive dominance of Arsenal and his up-and-coming danger in the last third.

This was a rare feat considering the approach was used by a player who has had a long history of his career in playing a defensive role. The fact that it was the second occasion that Declan Rice scored twice in one club match added even more weight to the occasion. Even after the game, Rice himself confirmed how unnatural the feat was, which he said his midfielder contributed goals in such a key situation, which gives him even more satisfaction.

According to the manager of the Arsenal, Declan Rice had asserted that he was willing to play, despite the uncertainty that remained until the last minute of kick-off. Arteta said the mentality of Rice was exactly what the team required not only the goals but also the fact that he was able to play 96 minutes of an elite game even with physical discomfort.

At the same time, the statistics are still used to support the changing of the concept of Declan Rice within the system of Arsenal. He has also made more passes in the opposition box than any other player in the premier league in this season. He is also one of the best players in harvesting touches, creating chances, and making passes, as well as a progressive carrier at Arsenal. These figures underline his role as that of protecting the defence but as one that has been propelling Arsenal forward.

Such a play was described by former England striker, Jermain Defoe, a pundit during the match as a masterclass. He mentioned the positional awareness, ball recuperation, and astuteness in offensive and defense by Rice. Today, according to Defoe, Declan Rice is in the list of prime midfielders in European football especially because of his reliability and impact in pressure situations.

Arsenal faces a challenging January schedule and the role of Declan Rice is even more obvious. Premier League matches, champions league matches, an FA cup match, a Carabao cup Semi-final are the upcoming events and thus the depth of the squads will be put to the test. But the endurance of Rice–this is by no means one of a kind of league games which he has missed since coming to the club–is an enforcing factor.

Lastly, this win at Bournemouth not only drew Arsenal six points above the rest at the top of the table, it also gave the squad the confidence it boosted. The feeling still lingers that a win-early silverwears may be part of the pressure relief process and as such, the moment comes by win, the leadership of Declan Rice will be the center stage. By sacrificing his life in an attempt to bring glory on board when it was the time they need it, he did not just score but he placed the standard on which Arsenal ought to look in seeking the glory.

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