Declan Rice, from a promising young talent at West Ham United, has risen to become one of the best midfielders in the world in an Arsenal shirt. His remarkable development, especially in recent years, raises the question: what has driven this transformation?
From Centre-Back to Defensive Midfielder
Declan Rice made his Premier League debut in the 2016-17 season and has since made 277 appearances in the competition. He began his career at the West Ham United academy as a centre-back. However, he made his senior debut as a defensive midfielder.
In the following season, Rice made 29 first-team appearances — 20 as a centre-back, 7 as a defensive midfielder, and 2 as a full-back (once on the right and once on the left).
Since the 2018-19 season, Rice has permanently transitioned into the defensive midfield role and quickly established himself as one of the world’s elite players in that position, both for club and country.
So, how exactly has Rice developed over the past five seasons?
Defensive Ability Assessment
To better understand the evolution of Rice’s defensive game, let’s look at key metrics such as duels, tackles, interceptions, and clearances.
| Statistic | 2020/2021 (West Ham) | 2021/2022 (West Ham) | 2022/2023 (West Ham) | 2023/2024 (Arsenal) | 2024/2025 (Arsenal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 32 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 35 |
| Minutes | 2879 | 3178 | 3272 | 3230 | 2833 |
| Total Duels | 249 | 313 | 285 | 299 | 236 |
| Tackles | 59 | 80 | 79 | 83 | 53 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 44 | 42 | 37 | 39 | 38 |
| Ground Duels Won | 100 | 141 | 130 | 117 | 82 |
| Clearances | 35 | 49 | 55 | 51 | 50 |
| Interceptions | 59 | 63 | 63 | 44 | 25 |
| Shots Blocked | 11 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 13 |
Data from Opta shows that Rice recorded the highest number of duels in the 2021-22 season at West Ham, averaging 4 successful ground duels per 90 minutes. However, in 2024-25, he recorded his lowest duel numbers over the last five seasons, averaging just 7.5 duels and 2.7 ground duels won per 90 minutes.
His tackles peaked at Arsenal in 2023-24, averaging 2.4 per 90 minutes, but dropped to only 1.7 per 90 minutes in the 2024-25 season.
Interceptions also fell significantly, averaging only 0.8 per 90 minutes in 2024-25 — compared to his best season (2021-22) at West Ham.
This decline in defensive stats may be due to his more attack-minded role at Arsenal. Moreover, West Ham under David Moyes were often under more defensive pressure — a contextual factor discussed throughout Stats & Analysis, comparing how tactical environments influence statistical outputs between clubs and systems.
Passing Ability
Rice’s passing has developed remarkably in recent years, especially since joining Arsenal.
| Statistic | 2020/2021 (West Ham) | 2021/2022 (West Ham) | 2022/2023 (West Ham) | 2023/2024 (Arsenal) | 2024/2025 (Arsenal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 32 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 35 |
| Chances Created | 22 | 23 | 36 | 47 | 57 |
| Total Passes | 1526 | 2153 | 2083 | 2227 | 1476 |
| Accurate Passes | 1343 | 1973 | 1834 | 2019 | 1326 |
| Pass Accuracy (%) | 88.01 | 91.64 | 88.05 | 90.66 | 89.84 |
| Accurate Long Passes | 75 | 128 | 151 | 78 | 60 |
| Long Pass Accuracy (%) | 61.98 | 73.56 | 67.71 | 55.32 | 61.86 |
| Through Balls | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Forward Passes | 454 | 583 | 607 | 574 | 364 |
Just like his defensive metrics, Rice also saw a relative dip in his passing numbers in 2024-25. His best season was 2023-24, when he averaged 62.1 passes and completed 56.3 passes per 90 minutes.
In 2024-25, Rice operated more on the left side rather than as a holding midfielder like in 2023-24. As a result, his passing dropped to just 46.9 per 90 minutes, completing 42.2 of them.
Interestingly, these numbers are lower than his West Ham days, despite Arsenal having much more possession. This is largely due to his more attacking role.
Rice averaged 6.11 progressive passes per 90 minutes last season, down from 7.77 per 90 in 2023-24. That’s still better than his 2021-22 West Ham season (5.28 per 90).
However, playing higher up the pitch, Rice now operates in more dangerous areas. He created 1.9 chances per 90 minutes last season — his best since 2020-21 — and averaged 0.2 through balls per 90, matching his 2022-23 record.
As he appears more often in attacking zones, Rice recorded a career-high 1.9 chances created per 90 minutes in 2024-25 and made 1.11 passes into the penalty area per 90 — nearly double his 2020-21 average of 0.56.
Dribbling Ability
Rice’s dribbling has long been one of his standout attributes, and he has further refined his ability to carry the ball forward using his physicality and control.
| Statistic | 2020/2021 (West Ham) | 2021/2022 (West Ham) | 2022/2023 (West Ham) | 2023/2024 (Arsenal) | 2024/2025 (Arsenal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 32 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 35 |
| Successful Dribbles | 29 | 50 | 40 | 21 | 14 |
| Success Rate (%) | 85.29 | 69.44 | 63.49 | 51.22 | 50 |
| Touches in Opponent Box | 42 | 54 | 24 | 71 | 87 |
Again, this quality was more frequently showcased when Rice played deeper at West Ham. He completed the most dribbles per 90 in 2021-22 and had the highest success rate in 2020-21.
However, his progressive carries have increased at Arsenal in 2024-25, averaging 2.87 per 90 minutes — only surpassed by 2021-22 at West Ham (2.95 per 90).
Rice also reached his highest-ever rate of carries into the penalty area — 0.51 per 90 — up from 0.45 in both 2023-24 and 2021-22.
This helped the England international achieve a career-high 2.8 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes, a big jump from his West Ham years.
Although Rice is often viewed as best when driving from deep, Mikel Arteta has found new ways to utilize that strength in more advanced positions.
Goal Threat
One of the most noticeable areas of improvement since joining Arsenal is Rice’s goal threat.
| Statistic | 2020/2021 (West Ham) | 2021/2022 (West Ham) | 2022/2023 (West Ham) | 2023/2024 (Arsenal) | 2024/2025 (Arsenal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 32 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 35 |
| Shots (excl. blocked) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Accuracy (%) | 40 | 42.11 | 34.62 | 57.14 | 45.45 |
| Shots on Target | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Free Kicks | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Goals | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Conversion Rate (%) | 10 | 5.26 | 15.38 | 20 | 12.12 |
Rice recorded a career-high 1.1 shots per 90 minutes last season, up from 1.0 in 2023-24 and 0.8 in his final West Ham season.
Since joining Arsenal, Rice has scored 16 goals in all competitions from 103 appearances, surpassing his West Ham tally of 15 goals in 245 matches.
His shot accuracy has also improved significantly — from 35–42% at West Ham to 57.13% in 2023-24 and 45.45% in 2024-25.
Adding goals and assists has been crucial as he’s taken on a more attacking role — contributing to set-pieces and making late runs into the box for Arsenal.
What’s Next?
Some of the declines in certain stats can be attributed to Rice playing in a more possession-dominant team. Others may stem from his new attacking duties or the roles of those around him.
His role next season will be fascinating to watch — especially with Martin Zubimendi joining Arsenal’s midfield, which could prompt another tactical tweak from Arteta.
A midfield trio of Zubimendi, Rice, and Martin Ødegaard offers outstanding balance across attributes — and all three are capable of operating in multiple positions.
Rice’s versatility allows Arteta greater tactical flexibility in shaping his lineup.
Over the next five years, Arsenal’s team success will heavily influence how much individual acclaim Declan Rice continues to receive.
