Declan Rice is proving big critics wrong

Arsenal has made a summer signing. Declan Rice is proving Liverpool legend Graeme Souness wrong after only 22 games in north London. The England international was chastised upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium for lacking the ability to contribute in the final third, but his goal against Luton Town in midweek proved otherwise.

The Gunners paid £105 million to sign Rice from West Ham during the summer transfer window, with Mikel Arteta identifying the midfielder as his top target before the window even opened. The 24-year-old is regarded as a future captain by Arsenal’s higher-ups and a player who can lead the team to victory in both the short and long term.

However, given his exorbitant fee, some critics questioned whether Rice was truly capable of justifying such a high fee. “This midfield role is a vital part of any team because in an ideal world, it’s multi-dimensional – you’re creative, you chip in with goals, and you’ve got a defensive head at all times, if you’ve got all three of those attributes, you’re worth your weight in gold,” Souness told the Daily Mail. Rice only has one of them in my opinion.

“I believe he should score more goals.” He averages two goals and two assists per season, which is insufficient. He’s joined a very good team, a great football club, and I would expect him to contribute more goals and be more creative if I were managing him.”

Despite only being at the Emirates for a few months, Rice is already demonstrating that his abilities are not limited to playing in a defensive role. The former West Ham captain has already scored three Premier League goals and provided one assist, putting him on track to have his highest-scoring season since breaking into the first-team.

Rice’s goals have all come at critical times for Arsenal, when his team appeared to be heading for defeat. The midfielder’s first goal for the club came in the 96th minute against Manchester United in the Gunners’ 3-1 win earlier in the season, before providing Arsenal with hope against Chelsea by halving their deficit in their 2-2 draw – with Leandro Trossard scoring the crucial equalizer.

Rice’s most significant moment to date came in midweek, when he scored the game-winning goal in Arsenal’s 4-3 victory over Luton, rising highest at the back post to power his header past Thomas Kaminski in the 97th minute. Despite the relegation-battling opposition, the victory demonstrated that the Gunners were once again title contenders, and Rice is a player for the big occasions.

The midfielder will only improve and, as a result, should continue to add to his goal tally as the season progresses, with his driving runs from deep proving to Souness that he can make an impact at both ends of the field. And if the No 41 can lead Arsenal to a title-winning season, few will question why Arteta was so eager to sanction such a costly signing given his knack for scoring crucial goals.