Arsenal brushed aside Leeds United in the Premier League, defeating them 5-0 in the fixture, with Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman stealing a lot of the headlines.
Viktor Gyokeres got off the mark in the Premier League for Arsenal, scoring twice against Leeds and silencing a few of his doubters in the process.
Then, Max Dowman dazzled. The 15-year-old came on in the second half and made an instant impact, winning a penalty for Gyokeres to convert his second.
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Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images
But while these two will be spoken about for days to come, one man won’t – and he absolutely dominated against Leeds United.
Declan Rice goes under the radar against Leeds
With players like Declan Rice, fans really just expect masterclasses every game, and that’s exactly what happened when Arsenal took on Leeds.
The England international was everywhere and dictated play with his wand of a right foot. He was quite sensational.
As mentioned, this is just second nature to him, and unless he gets on the scoresheet, little is said about him. What a way to be, though – it shows the quality of the player.
Arsenal v Leeds United - Premier League
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Rice is probably Arsenal’s most important player and best signing in recent years. The English midfielder is the metronome and heartbeat of everything good at the Emirates, and they’re extremely lucky to have him.
Rice’s game by numbers vs Leeds United
Rice’s fantastic Leeds performance was reflected in his numbers on the day.
Metric Value
Successful take-ons 100%
Pass accuracy 97%
Passes into the final third 5
Chances created 3
Ball recoveries 3
Rice will be crucial if Arsenal are to beat Liverpool and make it three wins on the bounce in the Premier League. They head to Anfield next weekend in what is a blockbuster early clash.