20 July 2023 , 06:00
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Mikel Arteta credited midfielder Declan Rice for helping Arsenal contain counter-attacks on his debut in the MLS All-Star Game. But the manager saved his best compliments for newcomer Jurrien Timber after the Gunners won Wednesday night's match 5-0 in Washington D.C.
As the Audi Field crowd gave Rice a huge reception when he entered from the bench on 65 minutes, the £105million man soaked in the love and high-fived Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz. His performance was quiet yet effective; he won possession and mostly played safe passes in his second-half cameo. He also denied supporters who shouted for him to shoot from outside the box.
"We have to defend in those moments in transition when we give the ball away, and I think we defended really well," Arteta said after the match in a nod to Rice's capabilities.
While the manager in no way slighted Rice, he sounded most exuberant in his post-game comments when discussing Timber, the defender who joined from Ajax for £38.5million last week.
"You have seen tonight he's a really versatile player we can use in different positions," Arteta said. "Within those positions, he can give the capacity to invert or occupy different spaces. He's so comfortable on the ball. … That dynamism I really like about him. From the first action on the high press, he won the ball straight away. He was ready to go. … He's going to be a very important player for us."
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Still, Rice's entrance was what Arsenal fans worldwide had been desperate to see. Even Walker Zimmerman — a World Cup participant with the United States — took notice of how loud Gunners supporters cheered when the England star came on.
"It was exciting to see the fans really root for him and [embrace] his move," Zimmerman told The Mirror after the game.
Timber impressed in his first Arsenal performance (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Rice made 37 Premier League appearances at West Ham last season and became the third captain to lead the club to a major trophy with a Europa Conference League triumph over Fiorentina on June 7.
A graduate of West Ham's youth system, the midfielder received high praise from the club he departed from even though they expressed disappointment at his exit. Both manager David Moyes and joint-chairman David Sullivan issued personal statements thanking Rice before Arsenal had the chance to announce him as their record signing.
The 24-year-old joins a team that pushed Manchester City hard in the Premier League title race until the end. His steady presence could keep the Gunners in contention for silverware in 2023-24, and he's eager to take guidance from Arteta on how to take his game to a greater level.
"I've been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they've been going on," Rice said after signing. "Not last season but the season before, they finished fifth, but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing.
"I know he's going to get the best out of me. I know I've got more levels to go up in my game, and I feel like he's the manager to take me to those next levels. I'm really excited to be working with him."