Eamon Dunphy: Declan Rice is the real deal - nobody is better in the position he plays

If it wasn’t to be on their own patch, they knew where the win would be sweetest.

The home of their biggest rivals.

On April 25, 2004, Arsenal won the Premier League, securing the title with a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham.

They were so dominant that season that the Gunners still had four games to play.

READ MORE: Roddy Collins - Declan Rice is not in the same league as a great like Roy Keane

When Arsenal last became champions 20 years ago, the football world was a very different place.

It was the first season for Chelsea after the club had been bought by Roman Abramovich, but it quickly became apparent that Claudio Ranieri wasn’t the man to lead them into a brave new world.

Manchester City were managed by Kevin Keegan. Their main men were the likes of Claudio Reyna, Sylvain Distin, Sun Jihai, Joey Barton, Paulo Wanchope and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

So it was no great surprise that they finished fifth from bottom of the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola? He was still playing, but in the backwater of Qatar with Al-Ahli.

As for Jose Mourinho, at that time, he’d yet to manage outside his native Portugal.

And Jurgen Klopp was in his first managerial job with Mainz 05, just missing out on promotion to the Bundesliga.

Tottenham were treading water, finishing 14th under David Pleat, while Mauricio Pochettino was finishing up with Bordeaux, before a playing swansong at Espanyol.

It was Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season, finishing unbeaten in the Premier League, and winning the title by 11 points.

That puts into context where the Gunners once were, and where they are now.

When they won three titles in six years under Wenger, the Premier League was effectively a battle between them and Manchester United, with Chelsea just stirring to life in 2004.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger holds the Premier League trophy at Islington Town Hall on May 19, 2004

Things are very different now. Manchester City are a colossus and aren’t going away any time soon. United aren’t even an afterthought when you consider potential champions in the next few years — unless something unforeseen and incredible happens.

Liverpool will have to get used to life after Klopp — and who knows how that will go? — but there is a talented squad there that will surely be strengthened in the summer.

Arsenal in 2024 aren’t Arsenal in 2004 but they are very good indeed.

With the finishing line so close, it’s hard to imagine City not winning their remaining three games to make history by winning a record fourth Premier League title in a row.

But any analysis that questions Arsenal’s character or a lack of supposed bottle will be bogus.

In 2024, the Gunners have been in what is usually title winning form in the Premier League. They have played 16 games, winning 14 — with one draw and one defeat.

The loss was at the hands of Aston Villa, the draw was with City. Arsenal have scored 51 goals in those 16 games — an average of nearly three per match.

This, remember, is a team that many feel suffers because they don’t have a world-class striker.

At the other end, the Gunners have been equally impressive. They have conceded only six goals in the League since the turn of the year.

Contrast that with the leakage at Liverpool — one of their rivals in the title race for most of the season. In April alone, Liverpool conceded nine goals in the League.

The reason I have concentrated on the second half of the season is that is when the pressure really comes on when you are chasing the big prizes — and it proved too much for Arsenal a year ago.

The biggest difference between Arsenal now and Arsenal in 2023 is Declan Rice.

Phil Foden of City will probably get all of the Footballer of the Year awards but, to me, they should go to Rice.

He has been immense, he’s been worth at least an extra 10 points to Arsenal this season.

What exactly has Rice brought to the mix?

Firstly, its’ his presence. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time — that doesn’t happen by accident.

Rice reads the game brilliantly and has that priceless habit of getting into the position to stop danger before it blows up.

He pulls others around him too, he’s both a talker and an organiser on the pitch.

Rice is a good user of the ball — both short and long — and he starts moves as well as getting you out of trouble by breaking up opposition attacks.

Mikel Arteta, Head Coach of Arsenal celebrates with Declan Rice after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on April 23, 2024 in London, England

One of the major factors in deciding football matches is tempo. When Arsenal need to slow a game down, it’s Rice that invariably does it.

When they need to speed it up, it’s again Rice who sets the tempo.

There are moments when you have to take the heat out of a game, others when you have to raise the temperature.

So many players can’t get a handle on how to do that, even at the biggest clubs. Rice is a master of it — and Arsenal have benefited greatly because of that.

Roy Keane and Graeme Souness have both been critical of Rice at different times, and I can’t figure out where they are coming from.

To me, he is the real deal. I don’t think there is a better player in his position in the world. He will be remembered as a Premier League great.

The other big move Mikel Arteta made last summer was the signing of David Raya.

I was against this buy because, to me, it made no sense. Arteta already had Aaron Ramsdale, who’d just been named in the PFA’s Team of the Year.

But Raya has given Arsenal that bit more solidity at the back.

Look at the amount of clean sheets he’s had. You can’t argue with that.

Given their age profile, Arsenal are only going to get better, in my view, and their time will come.

This season will likely end trophyless but they will get there.

The summer will surely see the arrival of a 20 goal a year striker.

Arsenal are building up momentum that will bring the big prizes in the years to come.

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