Mikel Arteta Issues ‘Emotional Dominance’ Demand on Declan Rice

After his 82nd minute equalising goal away at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night , Mikel Arteta praised Declan Rice for his role in the side but still demands more from his central midfielder. The Spaniard has called for 'emotional dominance' from his side as a whole but signalled Rice out for his exceptional work and capacity to do what he's asking.

Despite his goal against Bayern Munich being his first of the season, Rice has made a tremendous start to the season for the Gunners, he sits top of the assist chart in the Premier League with four whilst adjusting to a new role. The addition of Bruno Guimarães into the midfield has seen Rice play slightly deeper this season, more of an anchor to the side rather than the no.8 we've seen over the past few years. The Englishman has really excelled in that new role, he's often tasked with dropping into the deepest line to aid with build-up play whilst also influencing the game higher up and still being the defensive behemoth he is.

Rice's engine and ability to dominant games has been a revelation for Arsenal , he's played over 50 games for the club in all three of his full seasons at the club and looks set to do that again (barring injuries). That being said, Arteta has consistently raised the bar for Rice, this time demanding that he adds 'emotional dominance' to his skillset.

In his press conference ahead of the Premier League clash with Everton , Arteta stated that he has already seen Rice show that 'emotional dominance' but still wants more, saying: "I've already seen a step there on the emotional dominance and control of Dec. It's something that I demand him to do because I know the press and the charisma, it's very important to set the bar especially when things are not where we want them but we are still chasing to do that and generate that belief and commitment in the team. I think he's done that really well."

Coming back from behind in games has also been a big positive for Arteta, he gave credit to the teams attitude and character, saying: "And things can happen throughout a game, things that we don't expect, things that we don't like, things that we have to overcome. So be it. If you want to win a lot of matches, you're gonna have to face so many different kind of situations, and I think the team is ready to do that."

Rice in particular has shown himself to be a leader throughout his career, whether that be for West Ham, England or Arsenal , he has shown timelessly that he is a character who the team can't depend on and build around. His famous 'it's not done' quote against Manchester City will live forever in Arsenal fans' hearts but it's also an example of his leadership and showing the 'emotional dominance' Arteta demands.

The Englishman captained Arsenal just over a week ago in the Champions League against Lille when both Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka started from the bench. His influence in the team has never been more evident than now and Arteta placing those demands specially on him only shows the faith the manager has in Rice's leadership and character.