Last summer, Declan Rice’s next club was the hot topic in the red half of north London. Now all the talk is about his late goals and whether he can propel league leaders Arsenal past Aston Villa in Saturday's mouthwatering clash.
There was never any doubt in manager Mikel Arteta’s mind where Rice would end up, despite the speculation in July.
‘When I spoke to him, he mentioned to me many times from day one, “I just want to play for Arsenal and I want to play with you”, and he maintained his word to the last moment and we were good enough to acquire him,’ Arteta revealed on Friday.