**Arsenal legend Robert Pires has compared Declan Rice to the likes of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Tony Adams.**
The Gunners are currently at the top of the Premier League table, and they have a great chance of winning the title for the first time in over 20 years.
Pires was at the club when they last won the league, and he believes Rice is the type of character you need in the squad to secure silverware:
“If you want to lift the trophy at the end of the season, you need a player like Declan Rice. You need a Patrick Vieira, a Thierry Henry, a Tony Adams… and Declan Rice is in the same circle, yes.”
Rice has had an excellent season so far
---------------------------------------
It is fair to say that the 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength since he secured a £105m move from West Ham in the summer of 2023.
While Rice was originally signed as a holding midfielder, he has offered much more than protection for the back four. He made 17 goal contributions in his first year and 19 in his second.
This campaign, the England international has 11 in all competitions, and we are only just past the halfway mark. There is a good chance he will exceed his best season for Arsenal in front of goal.
What are the odds of Arsenal winning the title?
-----------------------------------------------
If they had beaten Liverpool last time out, [**Mikel Arteta**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-transfer-news-leandro-trossard-arteta/)‘s side would be eight points clear. As it is, the advantage over Manchester City is six, which is still a commanding lead.
It is not a surprise, therefore, that almost every bookmaker has placed very short odds on the club winning their first title since the 2003/2004 season. They are currently priced between 2/7 and 1/5.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)