Richard Keys gives harsh Declan Rice verdict after seeing him for Arsenal v Fulham

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Arsenal lost to Fulham today and Richard Keys has claimed that Declan Rice needs to be doing more in the midfield right now.

Rice had one of his quieter games against the Cottagers today and was left to look on as the home side beat his Arsenal side. It was the second time in a week the Gunners have been beat, after losing to West Ham at The Emirates.

So far this season, Rice has won plenty of plaudits and acclaim. After signing for £100m in the summer, he has proved a good buy in the main.

However, speaking on BEIN Sports, Richard Keys has said Rice needs to be doing more.

Richard Keys wants Declan Rice to ignore Mikel Arteta

Getting into a heated debate with Andy Gray, Keys was suggesting Rice should do more, even that means ignoring the tactical advice from his manager.

And while Gray staunchly defended the England man for following orders, Keys believes Rice needs to show more responsibility and take the bull by the horns.

“I’m not saying he needs to be vocal. I’m saying he needs put what he used to do at West Ham, I’ve seen nothing of at Arsenal. Get involved! Start making passes that hurt people. Have a shot at goal, cos Arsenal don’t shoot at the goal. Don’t just go and stand between the centre-backs. Why doesn’t he go out on the pitch and say ‘I’ve got more to give than just this’,” Keys said.

Rice has been playing as the central pillar in this Arsenal team and so far, it has gone well.

However, the last couple of games have shown a bit of worry for the Gunners, with teams now sitting on Rice or simply allowing him to have the ball while they sit off.

Of course, the England man knows what he’s doing and has been influential so far.

But this is an interesting topic of debate between Keys and Gray, and it would be nice to know just what Rice is being told to do.