Mikel Arteta sat down with Declan Rice before the campaign kicked off, focusing on his duties on the field.
He told the midfielder, “You’re not the lighthouse any more. You’re something else now,” after Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Leeds where Rice set up Bruno Guimaraes’s clincher.
Arteta added, “At season’s end I’ll explain where I see him. He must prove his new role on the pitch.”
Fans still link Rice to a beacon because he once guided Arsenal like a lighthouse.
Arteta described him last term as “the focal point who gives clarity and direction – you see him and know where to go.”
The lighthouse tag stuck after his 2023 arrival, echoing Pep Guardiola’s description of Rodri at City.
Guardiola once said, “Be the coach on the field, like a lighthouse – stay still, let everything rotate around you,” the former City midfielder now at Barcelona recalled.
That once described a classic holding role, but those days are gone; Rice now embodies a fresh version of himself.
One area shines brightest this term: his open‑play passing has taken a leap forward.
In six league outings he’s delivered three open‑play assists, already surpassing his total from the entire 2025/26 season.
Two came from Guimaraes strikes against Sunderland and Leeds, each a long‑range finish that rescued Arsenal in tight moments.
The third was a quick through‑ball to Kai Havertz’s equaliser versus Chelsea, again opening space for a shot from distance.
All these instances illustrate Rice’s elevated possession game and newfound attacking influence.
He’s entering the final third 25 % more often than last season, a rate that’s doubled since 2024/25.
His passes in the attacking zone have surged, and line‑breaking deliveries have nearly doubled as well.
Rice now tops the league in passes that split defenses, proving he’s more than a pure shield‑man.
His open‑play output has shifted dramatically, shedding the criticism of excessive sideways play.
Forward passes have risen while backward passes have halved, a striking statistical swing.
That drop aligns with his positional tweak under Arteta’s guidance.
He now anchors the midfield base, freeing Myles‑Lewis Skelly and Guimaraes to surge forward, a stark contrast to his old left‑8 slot.
Yet moments like his back‑heel assist for Guimaraes’s winner show the old Rice still surfaces occasionally.
He still makes daring forward runs and remains a set‑piece threat from corners.
Now he blends penalty‑area aggression with a calm presence in front of the back four, effective in both dead‑ball and open play.
Supporters expected a tighter, defensively‑oriented Arsenal after last season’s title win.
Rice’s stats mirror that shift: every Arsenal goal this term stems from open play, none from set pieces since March.
Arsenal’s evolution is evident, and Rice sits at its core, growing alongside the club.