Arsenal pulled off a huge win in the Champions League last night against Atletico Madrid and while he didn’t make it onto the scoresheet, Declan Rice earned high praise from Frank Lampard.
Mikel Arteta is putting together a fantastic run of form with Arsenal right now. It’s now five games since the Gunners last conceded a goal and they’ve made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign.
[
Click to subscribe to the podcast ](https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBackFour?sub_confirmation=1)
While most pundits and neutrals would have fancied Arsenal to beat Atletico Madrid, nobody expected them to deliver a 4-0 hammering to the Spanish giants.
Arsenal’s set-piece proficiency is serving them well, while Viktor Gyokeres has been earning plaudits for his role in the victory. But, it’s Declan Rice who got Paul Merson excited.
Declan Rice of Arsenal reacts during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Athletic Club
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Declan Rice channels Chelsea legend in latest Arsenal outing
After a goalless first half, it was central defender Gabriel who got things up and running for Arsenal just before the hour-mark. The goal came from a wonderful free-kick delivered from deep by Declan Rice, that left the Atletico defenders scrambling.
Discussing that moment with Sky Sports, Arsenal legend Paul Merson made a big claim: that Rice’s set-piece delivery matched that of Chelsea icon Frank Lampard.
Merson said: “It gets whipped in. It’s a Frank Lampard free-kick. He whips it in and it looks like if he [the goalkeeper] misses it, I think it still goes in. But yeah, Gabriel comes steaming in and he heads it. Goalkeeper gets a touch to it. It goes in. But it’s brilliant, brilliant service.”
That was Rice’s fourth assist of the season and his first goal contribution in the Champions League this term.
Declan Rice’s free-kicks are his greatest asset
We all remember Rice’s incredible brace of free-kick goals against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League. That was really the moment that the midfielder truly announced himself as a world class player in the eyes of most.
Now, Rice’s dead-ball delivery has been hailed as the best in the world by Rio Ferdinand. Rice has also been praised by Frank Lampard, funnily enough, as a brilliant all-round talent.
TalkingPoints
Who would you want on free-kick duty?
Obviously, Rice has a fantastic engine, is a clever footballer, and has great passing ability. But, given Arsenal’s penchant for set-piece goals right now, you’d have to say it’s Rice’s dead-ball delivery that makes him so important for the Gunners.
If Rice can maintain or even improve that area of his game further, there’s every chance he will go down as one of the great set-piece specialists of the modern era.