Arsenal's 4-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday was significant for so many reasons.
Of course, the main one being it was the perfect response to Manchester City's victory by the same scoreline at home to Liverpool a few hours earlier as a brace from Gabriel Jesus plus goals from Benjamin White and Granit Xhaka ensured the Gunners' eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table remained intact.
Furthermore, the result leaves Arsenal on the brink of qualifying for next season's Champions League. In fact, if the 2021/22 Premier League campaign is any indicator with regard to the total needed for a top-four finish then as things stand, 72 points will be enough to seal a return to Europe's top table for the first time in six years.
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As a result, the north London outfit have taken yet another giant step towards being able to meet Declan Rice's one condition for a potential move should the England international depart West Ham United in the summer transfer window.
"100% I want to play in the Champions League," he said, as per the Guardian while on England duty at the World Cup in December 2022. "For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.
"You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in."
Now, whilst football.london understands that there is optimism a deal can be done despite the club's transfer policy of not being dragged into a bidding war, nor overpaying for players, it remains to be seen how Mikel Arteta would plan to use Rice in the Arsenal midfield.
Not only can the 24-year-old operate as the deepest-lying midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation - thus providing good cover for Thomas Partey and competition for Jorginho - he is equally as comfortable playing as a box-to-box midfielder, thus opening the door to play alongside the Ghana international and Martin Odegaard.
However, with Xhaka netting against Leeds to bring his tally up to seven for the season across all competitions, coupled with Arteta's demand from his more advanced midfielders, there's no guarantee that the Arsenal vice-captain would immediately make way for Rice should he sign.
"Yeah especially here [points at head]. When you think you are going to score, you score. And when you score one, you believe in the next one you are going to score," the Spaniard said after the win over Leeds. "And when you score again, you believe in the next one you are going to score. Great finish, great run, great timing, so happy for him. They need to contribute with goals."
As Rice has often played deeper for West Ham, he's not yet added goals to his repertoire. His best return is four across all competitions last season - although he is only three behind Xhaka in the Premier League this term and has previously acknowledged it's an area of his game he must improve.
"I think I’ve just gone off my own back and done it really," Rice told Saturday Social last season when asked how his new role came about. "I think I’ve always known I could do it even from last season, probably in the Euros final I done it quite a lot and obviously you know when you’re doing it during a game it feels good and it looks good.
"As the season started I just thought you know what, I’ve got the ability it’s just having the confidence to do it. You know sometimes you can play within yourself or choose your moments. But yeah, this year I’ve just thought 'Why am I going to stop it'. I’ll do it every time I can really."
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