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Arsenal's 1-0 win over Everton was ugly. It was not their best performance by any way, shape or form, and the Gunners were definitely happy to come out from it with all three points, because it was not convincing at all.
There were a bunch of negatives from the game, and one key takeway from it all was that Arsenal need to improve if they want to challenge for the Premier League title.
Yes, it is good to win these sorts of games - which are tough to win irrespective of what form the team is in - but at some point, Arsenal will need to bounce back.
They started the season in an incredible way, and even though they have won the majority of their games since the slight dip, they still do not look the same team that was getting Chelsea fans worried about their defensive record.
They have still been an incredibly consistent team, and they are still at the top of the Premier League as well as the Champions League, so it is not all bad, but things need to improve if they want to keep it that way.
Mikel Arteta explains why Arsenal lean so heavily on Declan Rice
One player that absolutely does not need to feel like he is a part of the problem is Declan Rice. Rice has been Arsenal's most consistent player. At many points, he has been their best player, and he has also been their most reliable player.
After every game, people interested in Arsenal come out and talk about how good Rice was, and it is just insane to see the consistency.
Mikel Arteta did something similar after the game against Everton, and it was good to see him disect how the Englishman helps Arsenal in every phase.
He said: "Unbelievable, his all-round play, his leadership on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained as well that allowed us to run; he has been incredibly consistent this year again, and what a massive player for us he is.”
Arsenal were really lacking a serial winner before 2023. They needed someone who could will the team over the line. Someone who could be a leader on the pitch and motivate other players around him.
They found exactly that and much more in Rice, and the player has just been exceptional in almost every single game since joining the club.
Rice is one of the very best midfielders in the world right now, and if people don't realise that soon enough, they will be biting their words when it is time.