Odegaard Reveals Which Arsenal Star Is Single-Handedly Fueling Their Premier League Title Dreams

Arsenal skipper Martin Ødegaard highlighted Declan Rice for exceptional praise following a remarkable individual showing in an unusual right-back role against Brighton & Hove Albion that maintained the club's Premier League championship hopes burning bright.

After Riccardo Calafiori's sudden withdrawal during warm-ups, and with Jurriën Timber, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera already unavailable, Mikel Arteta had no choice but to position his dynamic midfielder at full-back on Saturday afternoon.

Rice had considerable experience as a central defender at West Ham United and featured once at left-back in an FA Cup third round match against Shrewsbury Town nearly eight years prior, but had never previously been asked to operate on the right side of the defense. Any unease he felt was expertly concealed against Brighton.

"It was an incredible display from him," Ødegaard enthused after a hard-earned 2–1 victory. "To feature at right-back, likely for the first time ever, and execute it the way he did today was incredible, so a truly exceptional showing from him.

"That exemplifies our squad. Everyone stands ready to contribute whatever is required, and that [Rice's display] served as another excellent demonstration of that mindset."

Arsenal's beloved player was constantly active along the right wing. Moving alongside Bukayo Saka, Rice created a clever diversion to ensure the team's star winger rarely faced double coverage. When receiving possession, the set-piece specialist posed significant danger in regular play, registering three attempts while flooding the Brighton penalty area with deliveries.

One cross from a second-half corner deflected off Georginio Rutter's head and past Bart Verbruggen to extend Arsenal's advantage. Diego Gómez would score for the visitors in the 64th minute to create a tense finale that had barely seemed possible during the preceding hour, yet the Gunners remained solid, largely due to their makeshift right-back.

Rice also welcomed his new defensive duties, enjoying the individual duel with Brighton's Ferdi Kadıoğlu during the final moments of an entertaining match.

Following Manchester City's win over Nottingham Forest to start Saturday's action, Arsenal needed victory to reclaim their position at the Premier League summit. The attitude Rice displayed under challenging conditions was valued by more people than just Ødegaard.

Declan Rice's Positional Experience Throughout Senior Career

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Mikel Arteta: Rice Will Feature Wherever Required

Mikel Arteta shared Ødegaard's views, praising Rice as the perfect example of a fighting spirit that's spreading through an injury-hit squad. "What impresses me is that despite facing numerous problems, we're handling them remarkably well," the Arsenal manager glowed during Saturday's post-match media session.

"Yesterday we lost Jurriën, today we lose Calafiori during warm-ups, Declan must operate as a full-back and you witness the display he delivered. That represents the character and demonstrates how desperately our players desire success."

Rice isn't restricted to the right-back position. Wherever there's a gap on the field, the enthusiastic England international stands ready to embrace the task.

"You approach Declan and inform him he must feature as a right winger and he responds, 'Absolutely, I welcome the challenge, I'll give my maximum effort,' and witnessing that mindset is wonderful," Arteta beamed.

It's uncertain when Arteta can rely on Timber, who appears most likely to return soonest, for Tuesday's crucial encounter against third-placed Aston Villa. Should the Dutch defender not be risked, there's a clear choice who'll gladly step in as a highly capable replacement.