05 March 2024 , 09:34
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Declan Rice's goal against Sheffield United on Monday night marked his fifth of the campaign and made this season the most prolific of his career already.
There are still more than two months of the season left to play, but Arsenal's scored signing has now hit double figures when it comes to goal contributions in the Premier League. Rice has been nothing short of sensational since leaving West Ham to make the short move across London to join the Gunners as part of a record £105million move.
Hopes were high that Rice would take his game to the next level after arriving at the Emirates, but not everyone was convinced. Liverpool legend and prominent pundit Graeme Souness has long claimed he feels Rice needs to contribute more in an attacking sense.
Having first raised that theory once speculation of a transfer for Rice emerged, Souness doubled down after the move to Arsenal had been confirmed. "The only criticism I had of Declan [Rice], was that he did not get enough goals, and I am still standing by that," the Scotsman told talkSPORT back in July.
"Just because you're a defensive midfield player does not mean you can't chip in with goals. He has to chip in with more. Arsenal finished second last year, and he will undoubtably improve them. Can they make that jump from second to first because of Declan? Possibly, but he needs to chip in with more goals.
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"For the defensive midfielder he is, he has a defensive head, he sees the danger, deals with it, he is extremely athletic, and goes up and down the park. I just want him to be coming on to balls in and around the box, he is attacking, let him go. There is no reason he can't get double figures every year playing for that Arsenal team."
It hasn't taken long for Rice to take care of that. Five league goals alongside five league assists is the most amount of goal contributions the England international has managed in one season.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where does Rice rank among the league's best midfielders? Comment below
The ex-Hammers captain is clearly loving life in north London and quickly took to Instagram to celebrate his milestone after Arsenal battered Sheffield United 6-0 at Bramall Lane on Monday night. Rice uploaded a snap of him celebrating his goal alongside a caption that simply read: "Double figures."
Whether that caption was thinly-veiled dig at Souness and his comments in the summer only Rice knows, but it doesn't matter too much - he's let his goals and assists do the talking.
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