Declan Rice just matched something Arsenal fans won’t expect

Are Arsenal fans now starting to believe that this really could be their years in the Champions League? On Tuesday night, in a game low on attacking quality and excitement, Mikel Arteta's team claimed a vital victory over Sporting CP at Estádio José Alvalade, with Declan Rice at the heart of it.

In truth, it was the home side who had the better chances throughout, hence why David Raya was named man of the match, producing five saves. Nevertheless, right at the end, two Arsenal substitutes combined to snatch victory in Lisbon. Gabriel Martinelli cut inside and produced a Mesut Õzil-esque inch-perfect cross that was expertly tucked away by Kai Havertz. This sparked wild celebrations from the 2,642 Gooners high up behind that goal, as it could prove so crucial in the context of the tie.

Declan Rice was very much pumped up, both when celebrating Havertz's goal and then again at full time a few moments later. As noted by Opta, the England international won possession 13 times, which is the most by any Arsenal player in a Champions League knockout stage fixture since a certain Mikel Arteta against Bayern Munich in February 2013. That night, Arsène Wenger's team were beaten 3-1 before exiting the competition on away goals, but a far better outcome was secured this time round.

Rice has looked pretty exhausted in recent weeks, which has led to a clear dip in performance. Nevertheless, his consistent excellence in performance should not be forgotten.

Declan Rice Arsenal statistics 2025/26

Only goalkeeper David Raya and Martín Zubimendi have racked up more Arsenal minutes than Rice this season, while he ranks first for a wide-variety of metrics. Rice leads the way at the club when it comes to assists, carries, interceptions, possession won and so much more, his tally of 154 in the latter increasing substantially in southern Portugal this week.

As this emphasises, Rice is the true all rounder. His set-piece delivery is pretty much second to none across all of Europe, while also showcasing his on-ball quality in open play regularly too. Meantime, very few in the Premier League have covered more distance than the 27 year old, who ranks among the best when it comes to out of possession statistics.

In summary, Arsenal would not be nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table and on the cusp of only a fourth Champions League semi-final in the club's entire history without him. If Arteta's team are going to pick up the biggest honours of all in May, Rice will have been a major factor.