Declan Rice 'blown away' by Mikel Arteta trait at Arsenal
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice claims he has been ‘ blown away’ by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and the transformative effect he has had on the club since taking over. Having guided Arsenal to FA Cup glory in 2020 only a few months after taking over from Unai Emery, Arteta came under fire for failing to immediately kick on in the Premier League and recording an eighth place finish in his first full season in charge. His team subsequently started the 2021/22 campaign with three straight defeats and didn’t climb into the top half of the table until well into October. Six defeats in their final 12 Game s also cost the club a return to the Champions League. But Arteta, mentored by Pep Guardiola was working on a bigger project in tandem with sporting director Edu to build a brighter future, which took hold in 2022/23. Arsenal’s title challenge took most by surprise, only falling away at the very end under pressure from a Manchester City side that went on to complete the Treble, only the seco...