Martin Odegaard believes Declan Rice is an even better player now than he was with West Ham United, pushing Arsenal on to a new level.

Declan Rice left West Ham United for Arsenal last summer, and he’s been widely praised for how he’s adapted to his new club.

Yet some West Ham fans have baulked at the idea that Rice has actually improved, insisting he’s just getting more attention in north London.

Martin Odegaard disagrees, insisting Rice has kicked on since his transfer.

“To come to a new club is never easy but he has come in the most natural way,” Odegaard said.

“And the way he is playing, adding goals and assists, he has taken his game to another level and we are so lucky to have him.

“He has given us so much in so many areas. [He has been] brilliant.”

It’s hard to argue that Arsenal haven’t benefitted from Rice’s performances.

Compared to corresponding fixtures (via Scott Willis), Arsenal are two points better off, five goals better off, and 12 goals conceded better off than last season.

Those changes in the goal tallies are a fair reflection of the change in the expected goals (+4.6) and expected goals against (-12.8).

To put it simply, Arsenal have improved compared to last season, offensively and defensively. Not just in terms of results, but in terms of the underlying statistics behind those results.

They’ve done so with Rice playing 36 of 36 Premier League games, starting in 35 of them, scoring seven goals and assisting nine on top of his defensive duties.

Rice was recently voted as the runner-up for the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award for 2024, having previously finished seventh in the 2023 vote.

It’s getting harder and harder to deny that the midfielder is continuing to improve with his new club.

Now it’s about trying to ensure Rice and Arsenal give themselves the best possible opportunity to finish the campaign with a trophy.