Declan Rice takes centre stage as Arsenal top the Premier League

Declan Rice was player of the match as Arsenal beat Liverpool, and Arsenal are top of the Premier League. The 27-year-old midfielder has more assists than any other player in the league this season, with five. BBC Sport reports that all five came from open play, meaning passes made while the game is flowing rather than from corners or free kicks.

An assist is the pass that leads directly to a goal. Rice has never been short of work rate, but creating chances is a newer part of his game. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's head coach, changed his role this season, and the early results show in the numbers.

Rice's rise has also been a matter of trust. Arteta told him at the start of the season that he was no longer Arsenal's "lighthouse", a term for the player the team steers by, and that he expected more. Rice has responded. He has started every Premier League and Champions League game this season, and he has 55 goals and assists combined since he joined Arsenal in 2023.

His team-mates have noticed. Kai Havertz said 90% of his winning goal against Liverpool belonged to Rice. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, now a television pundit, called Rice "world class" after the same match.

Arteta has kept the nickname for Rice under wraps. He has said he will reveal it at the end of the season. Rice has spoken about the relationship, too. In January he said Arteta can get the best out of him, and he praised the manager's man-management in an interview with the club's media team.

Arsenal have been careful with his workload. Last season Rice played 55 games. Arsenal signed Bruno Guimaraes, which means Rice can be rested for EFL Cup matches. England also rested him during the most recent international break.

Rice's season builds on a memorable spring. Arsenal won their first league title in 22 years in May, and Reuters noted his relentless running, accurate set pieces and tough tackling as key to the win. Arsenal then held a victory parade through London. Rice also retained Arsenal's Player of the Season award for 2025/26, which was his second in a row.

The title race was tight, and Rice kept the team believing. After a 2-1 defeat in the spring, he told captain Martin Odegaard "it's not over" at full-time. Arsenal went on to win the league.

Talks are ongoing over a new contract for Rice at Arsenal. For now, the focus is on the table, where Arsenal sit top, and on a player who has become one of the first names on the team sheet.