How Declan Rice can go to the next level after Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid, Mikel Arteta needs more
Mikel Arteta will be absolutely thrilled by Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.
Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal during the summer, and the Gunners’ 4-0 win on Tuesday, 21 October, was the first real sign of the big-money striker showing exactly what he is capable of.
Myles Lewis-Skelly produced a moment of magic, one which ended in Gabriel Martinelli scoring a second for the home side at the Emirates Stadium. It was an incredible team performance.
However, that does not mean that Arteta should be fully satisfied with some of his players, even despite the victory taking them to third in the Champions League table, with eight goals scored and none conceded.
Declan Rice is overshadowed by his teammates vs Atletico Madrid
With Gabriel Magalhaes, Martinelli, and Gyokeres all on the scoresheet, there has been very little reason to look for the negatives. There is one that Arteta should be focusing on, though.
Rice, demonstrated by Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, was all over the pitch against Atletico, showcasing his ability to get forward. Martin Zubimendi’s arrival at Arsenal has been key.
He registered an assist for Gabriel’s opener at the Emirates, swinging in a set-piece for the Brazilian to head home, and he also created a couple of other chances.
However, with just one shot to his name, one which was off-target and had an Expected Goals (xG) of 0.12 [FotMob], the England international showed exactly where he still has improvements to make.
Mikel Arteta must be hitting the back of the net in important games
Just as he did last season, twice against Real Madrid, Rice needs to rediscover his shooting boots. In 12 appearances this season, he has hit the back of the net just once.
There will likely be a tendency to create for those in front of him following a huge summer of spending, but his eye for goal could be just as important as his teammates’ this term.
Even with nine goals last season, the 26-year-old could be offering so much more in the final third, and multiple pundits have pointed out exactly this about the midfielder.
He can often be too cautious, and while he has gone from strength to strength since leaving West Ham, many supporters will feel that there is still another level to his game that can be unlocked by Arteta.