LONDON – Arsenal’s decision to invest heavily in signing Declan Rice has already shown its worth. While his main contribution may not be goal scoring, the £105 million man has made it a personal mission to improve his end product, and his performance in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United was a spectacular start.
Rice scored his first goal for Arsenal in the sixth minute of added time, breaking the deadlock and sparking a wave of euphoria at the Emirates Stadium. The game had been evenly matched, with Martin Odegaard equalizing Marcus Rashford’s first-half opener for United. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho was denied what could have been the winning goal by a VAR review for offside in the 88th minute. However, Rice’s goal ultimately turned the game in Arsenal’s favor, and Gabriel Jesus added a third goal deep into added time, leading to a celebration typically associated with a title run.
Critics often accuse Arsenal of over-celebrating, but the circumstances of this victory justified the exuberance. The rivalry with Manchester United added extra sweetness to the win, but more importantly, Arsenal needed to keep pace with Manchester City, which may seem premature considering it’s only the fourth game of the Premier League season.
Last season, Arsenal reached 50 points at the halfway stage but failed to win the title. City has set an incredibly high standard, leaving little margin for error. Ending the first international break with 10 points from a possible 12, just two points behind City, is a significant confidence boost for Arsenal.
Rice, who was brought in from West Ham at great expense, played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s victory. His all-round display proved to be match-winning. The question now is whether this goal is just the beginning of many more to come from their new midfield powerhouse.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised Rice’s technical ability, accuracy, and power when shooting, highlighting his versatility with both feet. Arteta expressed his satisfaction with Rice’s contributions and credited him for dominating the midfield, breaking up play, and linking the team together when they were under pressure.
Rice’s forward runs also led to a penalty that was later overturned by VAR. Despite a cautious first half, Arsenal gradually gained control of the game, with Rice’s influence helping them play more aggressively in the second half. Ultimately, they ended the match with 55% possession, creating several opportunities, one of which was missed by Bukayo Saka.
While Arsenal’s victory was a cause for celebration, Manchester United will rue the disallowed goal and their inability to capitalize on a strong performance by their own big-money signing, Rasmus Hojlund. United’s defensive woes, due to injuries, were evident with a makeshift center-back pairing of Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. The lack of prudent squad planning was evident, as was their late acquisition of Sofyan Amrabat. In contrast, Arsenal appears more prepared to close the gap to Manchester City.
Although Arsenal has yet to completely convince in any game this season, their ability to find ways to win sets them apart. As Arteta aptly stated, “Big matches are for big players, and Rice was tremendous.”
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