Declan Rice's evolution has earned him Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard comparison

The 26-year-old scored his third goal of the season in style as he hammered Kai Havertz's pass into the net past a rooted goalkeeper.

Rice quickly became a fan favourite at the Emirates after his £105m signing from West Ham United in July 2023 as he made gut busting runs to recover the ball and protect the back four.

But what most fans have been impressed with is his improvement as an attacking outlet for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta deployed the England International as a left sided eight, often partnered by Thomas Partey or Jorginho who sat deeper in midfield.

This gave Rice the freedom to display his powerhouse abilities and drive forward with the ball at his feet.

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With seven goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season the midfielder proved why Arteta favoured him closer to goal.

And he has continued to be pivotal in the way Arsenal attack and eventually break teams down.

Currently he has three goals and five assists in all competitions this campaign.

Commenting on Rice, Clive Palmer said on the Inside Gooners podcast: "When he came [to Arsenal] he came as a true stand still in front of the back four six but now he's looking like a really aggressive eight that gets shots.

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"Rather than being a Paul Scholes behind the ball, he's turning into a Frank Lampard ahead of the ball."

What many football spectators definitely did not see coming was Rice whipping in corners to large success.

Usually a winger or number ten takes on corner duties but Rice has been delivering them on a plate for the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes to head in.

After the Dinamo Zagreb match Arteta spoke on Rice's form. He commented: "His intent, his purpose, especially attacking the positions he is taking and how he's driving with the ball.

"There is another bite to his game and today he could have scored two goals. In the last few weeks he had some big, big open chances to score to affect the game, so overall, I'm very happy because we need to affect the game from those positions and he's certainly capable of doing that."

He went on to say that Rice is a 'consistent' and 'reliable' 'big player' for Arsenal.

"He's always there, and when he can create those sparks, those moments, in the opposition's box, it's a great thing to have," said the Spanish manager.

Rice is far off Scholes' eleven Premier League titles and Lampard's 177 goals in the competition but he can become a legend at Arsenal.