Overview

• Opta figures reported by The Sporting News show Rice leading Arsenal this season in carries, line-breaking passes, possessions won and chances created, underscoring his two-way influence.
• Rice told TNT Sports he never expected to take set pieces at Arsenal, crediting Arteta and the set-piece coach for backing him to deliver consistently from dead balls.
• Alan Shearer highlighted Rice’s display against Newcastle, citing a key recovery run and block before an excellent cross that set up Arsenal’s equaliser.
• In the same interview, Rice said he was messaged by Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard after his two free kicks versus Real Madrid, adding he thinks David Beckham also reached out.
• Rice praised academy products Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis‑Skelly and 15-year-old Max Dowman, noting the older duo’s growth in confidence and Dowman’s unusual comfort around the first team.