Arsenal player says he was asked to do something ‘unnatural’ by Mikel Arteta

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Declan Rice has now revealed that Mikel Arteta demanded something totally “unnatural” to him at Arsenal this season.

The Gunners have enjoyed another exceptional campaign – no matter what happens in the title race – with significant progress being made under the Spaniard’s guidance.

Performances of such a high standard do not just happen overnight – Arsenal’s efforts have been a product of hard work on the training ground at London Colney and taking players out of their comfort zone.

Several members of Arsenal’s squad have embarked on unique experiences, from Takehiro Tomiyasu playing an inverted full-back role, to Kai Havertz operating as a central midfielder.

Declan Rice is no different, and the Arsenal No.41 has now opened up on Mikel Arteta‘s decision to use him in a more attacking role…

Declan Rice says Mikel Arteta demands are “unnatural” to him

Well, the England international has been tasked with threatening the opposition goal more this season, rather than simply sitting in front of the backline in a No.6 role and breaking up play.

Rice has often been fielded as a No.8 – a new role which has seen him score six goals in 48 appearances this season.

To provide some context, the 25-year-old scored just 15 goals in 245 appearances at West Ham.

Speaking about his role under Arteta, Rice told The Athletic: “With No.8, the manager is massive on making runs (off the ball), threatening behind, occupying zones, and that’s unnatural to me — I’ve never done that in my life, so it’s my first year learning that, which has been really different.”

You wouldn’t think the Londoner is playing an entirely new role this season, as he has taken to it like a duck to water.

Rice is still shining in terms of interceptions and tackles – averaging 1.2 and 2.2 of each metric on average per game in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored.

Impressively, the £105m man is also making an impact in the final third, scoring six goals while also providing seven assists in 35 Premier League appearances – a return some forwards would even be happy with.

Arsenal need more hybrid players

Footballers like Rice, who can carry out a number of different roles depending on the opposition, are worth their weight in gold – it’s almost like having two players rolled into one.

This flexibility helps Arteta mix things up and ensures the Spaniard’s Arsenal side are unpredictable, making it incredibly tough for opponents to do any homework on the Gunners.

That – in our view – is crucial in ensuring that Arsenal remain competitive at the highest level, so the more hybrid players Edu brings to north London like Rice, the better.