‘Quicker than you think’: Pundit says 24-year-old Arsenal star is actually so much faster than many realise

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Darren Bent has praised Declan Rice after his performance for Arsenal in their win over Crystal Palace, and suggested that the midfielder is actually a lot quicker than people realise.

Bent was speaking on talkSPORT after the 24-year-old once again stood out for the Gunners as Mikel Arteta’s side clinched a 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park.

Declan Rice has definitely made a very bright start to life at the Emirates. Of course, he was under plenty of pressure after joining the club as their record signing.

But he seems to have settled in so well. Rice has been used in a couple of roles already by Arteta. And he was arguably the best player on the pitch against Palace at the start of this week.

Bent suggests people don’t realise how quick Declan Rice actually is

Arteta labelled Rice’s performance against the Eagles ‘fantastic’. And he really does give off the impression that he has been playing for Arsenal for a lot longer than two competitive games.

Darren Bent lauded his performance against Palace too. And he suggested that it catches you off-guard just how fast Rice actually is.

“Very good, isn’t he, very good,” he told talkSPORT. “He certainly could be a reason as to why Arsenal go closer. I still think City are the team to beat.

“But I thought the performance was very good. He’s got legs, he’s quicker than you think, he’s powerful. He moves the ball really well, he’s honest.”

Arsenal took a real risk spending so much again this summer. It could have gone either way after last year’s title push.

Obviously, it could take the Gunners closer to Manchester City. But if the moves did backfire, Arsenal could throw away all of their momentum and move backwards rapidly – when you consider how difficult it will be to spend similar amounts in the near future.

But the early signs suggest Arsenal have stepped up a level this season. And Rice is absolutely central to that.

It remains to be seen whether they can launch a title challenge from here. But it is encouraging that they have picked up two wins without finding their best performances.

They have so much depth. And they should only get better as the new additions continue to settle in. So it really could be a hugely exciting campaign for the Gunners.