Declan Rice influence hailed by Carragher as Arsenal close in on historic double
Carragher singles out Declan Rice role change as Arsenal edge closer to major season under Arteta
Arsenal’s season has started to tilt into something seriously ambitious, and Jamie Carragher believes a subtle but important tweak from Mikel Arteta might have been one of the defining reasons behind it.
With Bukayo Saka’s decisive strike at the Emirates sealing a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, Arsenal now find themselves within touching distance of a historic finish to the campaign.
They are also five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with just three games left to play. It’s the kind of position most clubs would hesitate to even dream about in April.
But as Carragher pointed out, the mood around Arsenal hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing in recent weeks.
A season tightening at the right time
For all the progress Arsenal have made across the season, there had been a slight dip in form not too long ago. That wobble, as Carragher described it, briefly raised questions about whether they were fading at the crucial moment.
That uncertainty now looks like it might have been temporary.
A comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham in the league helped steady things, and that was followed by the big European night against Atlético Madrid, where Arsenal did enough across both legs to book their place in the final. Not spectacular at every moment, but controlled, mature, and exactly what knockout football often demands.
Carragher believes the timing of Arsenal’s reset has been no coincidence.
Rice dropped deeper, and Arsenal find control again
One of the more noticeable changes in recent matches has been the positioning of Declan Rice. Martin Zubimendi, who had been a key figure during Arsenal’s strong start to the season, was left out of both recent fixtures. That decision opened the door for Myles Lewis-Skelly to come into the team, while Rice was moved into a deeper midfield role.
It’s not the sort of adjustment that grabs headlines on its own, but its impact has been difficult to ignore.
Carragher, speaking after Arsenal’s win over Atlético Madrid, was particularly vocal about what he’s seen from Rice in that role.
On a sports broadcast, Carragher expressed that Declan Rice was outstanding and the top performer across both matches, following the team’s victory over Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
He noted that although the club has achieved its current standing in both the Champions League and the domestic league through consistent effort over nine or ten months, they had recently been experiencing some instability.
However, in the past week, the team has regained its composure, and he believes that the tactical decision to position Declan Rice in a slightly deeper role has had a significant impact.
Carragher also highlighted Rice’s strong performance in the away game in Madrid, where he also earned the Man of the Match award in the second leg.
Between these European fixtures, the team secured a win against Fulham, where they exhibited a sense of ease and freedom in their play for the first time in a while.
This relaxed style of play had been absent for several months, perhaps since their dominant victory against Tottenham in the local derby.
He concluded that this minor tactical adjustment involving Declan Rice has had a substantial effect, placing the team just two matches away from securing both the Premier League and Champions League titles.
While the Champions League final is ahead, a victory against West Ham this coming weekend would definitively secure the Premier League title.
Thus, their proximity to success is evident, though the final steps still need to be taken. Nevertheless, the team’s current form appears notably different from how it presented just a couple of weeks prior.
Why the change feels bigger than it looks
What stands out in Carragher’s assessment isn’t just praise for Rice, but the suggestion that Arsenal have rediscovered control at exactly the right time. The deeper midfield role has allowed Rice to dictate games more consistently, breaking up opposition rhythm and giving Arsenal a cleaner platform to build from.
It has also taken some pressure off the more advanced areas of the pitch, where Arsenal had looked slightly rushed during their dip in form.
There’s a sense now that Arsenal are not necessarily playing differently in a dramatic way, but they are playing with more assurance. Less frantic, more calculated. And in this stage of the season, that usually matters more than flair.
One step away from something special
The equation is simple enough on paper. Arsenal are now just a couple of games away from sealing a potential Premier League and Champions League double. That alone tells you how far this team has come under Arteta.
The league picture is still tight enough that nothing can be taken for granted, but the momentum is clearly back with them. At the same time, they have navigated one of the toughest European ties of the season against Atlético Madrid, a team built to frustrate and punish even the smallest mistakes.
Rice, interestingly, is also now being talked about in the Ballon d’Or conversation after a consistently outstanding season. It’s the kind of recognition that reflects not just form, but influence, and Arsenal’s recent performances only reinforce that narrative.
There is still work to do, and nobody inside the club will be speaking in terms of completed missions just yet. Football has a habit of changing quickly, especially at this stage of the season when fatigue and pressure start to blend together.
But right now, Arsenal look like a team that has found its balance again. Arteta’s adjustment in midfield has brought Rice into a role where he can dominate games more naturally, and the results have followed.
Carragher’s comments simply underline what many watching have already started to notice: Arsenal look more settled, more composed, and a bit more like a side ready for the final stretch.
