Declan Rice has become the Premier League's assist leader this season following a tactical evolution at Arsenal. The midfielder's fifth assist of the campaign, a low cross for Kai Havertz's winner at Anfield, moved him clear at the top of the charts and helped Arsenal move three points clear at the summit of the standings.
All five of Rice's assists have come from open play, a significant shift for a player who began his Arsenal career in a deeper, more defensive role. His manager, Mikel Arteta, has pushed him to contribute more in the final third. "I've done well but he believes I can still do more and he's drilled that into me," Rice said. "This season I've really tried to attack that part going forward, trying to come up with assists, create chances, create moments."
The change is reflected in the data. Rice is playing more forward passes and carrying the ball towards goal more frequently than at any point in his Arsenal career. A positional shift to the right-hand side has also improved his link-up play with Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke. This more advanced and creative brief has come with a physical trade-off. He is covering slightly less ground per game and making fewer defensive actions in the final third, a deliberate move to manage a workload that included 69 games for club and country last season.
That demanding schedule contributed to a hamstring injury and neural back pain, with Rice substituted early in an England match this autumn. After the World Cup, the 27-year-old admitted, "The body's been through a lot this season. I need a break now." His current role, which sees him as the deepest-lying midfielder in some setups, is designed to exploit spaces in open play while preserving his energy.
Rice's creative output is reducing Arsenal's dependence on set-pieces for goals, a key tactical aim for Arteta. His five assists have come from an expected assists (xA) total of just 1.07, the highest overperformance in the league. The most recent example was vital, setting up Havertz to end a nine-game goal drought and secure Arsenal's first Premier League win at Anfield in 14 years. That 1-0 victory was their sixth clean sheet in nine league games this term.
Arsenal's form remains strong, with four wins and a draw in their last five matches across all competitions. They followed the Liverpool win with a 2-1 victory at Slavia Praha in the Champions League and a 1-0 home win over Hull City last Friday. Those results keep them top of the Premier League with 24 points from nine games, and their next challenge is a trip to face 13th-placed Newcastle United on November 21. Havertz, the beneficiary of Rice's most famous assist this season, is currently the club's top scorer with three league goals. Rice's transformation into a creative force is a major reason why Arsenal lead the title race.
More detail at Daily Mail Sport
