Declan Rice once again proved why Arsenal were right to splash the cash on him this summer. Arriving for a record deal at the Emirates, Rice has fit right into Mikel Arteta’s team, fueling their title charge in the league.
He showed his worth again, scoring a beautiful goal against Chelsea to initiate their comeback, salvaging a crucial point in a 2-2 draw. And now the midfielder has given us a reason behind the spectacular goal that he scored in that match.
Beckham’s influence fuels Rice’s spectacular strike
Arsenal were behind 2-0 to Chelsea thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk. It was in the 77th minute that Declan Rice appeared as a lifeline, scoring a special long range goal. He capitalized on a bad pass from goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez, and then let it loose from a distance, finding his way to the bottom left corner of the goal. Eventually, Arsenal scored again through Leandro Trossard to finish a 2-2 draw.
After the game, Declan revealed that his goal from a distance was actually inspired by the new Netflix documentary about David Beckham. He discussed this inspiration in an interview with the club’s official website, stating that he had watched the documentary the night before. Beckham was renowned for his crosses and free kicks, and he possessed an almost godlike ability to score from long range. Watching the documentary, Declan was inspired to take his chances from a distance as well.
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æš“ Declan Rice's goal vs Chelsea! š« pic.twitter.com/Q6Xj2X8NnH
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 22, 2023
He said regarding the documentary, “Everyoneās been talking about this Beckham documentary, and I watched it for the first time last night.
The former West Ham captain then said that his goal was inspired by Beckham’s previous heroics: “The first couple of clips are the game against Wimbledon where he scored from the halfway line and I took a lot of belief from that. I was just thinking that it was bizarre that I watched it last night, and then obviously today taking that shot first time and scoring.”
It is not the first time a player has been inspired the David Beckham documentary, Earlier, Scott McTominay scored a brace to grab a comeback win against Brentford, and cited the documentary as his inspiration. Beckham’s documentary must have something special in it.
Arsenal secures Declan Rice in record deal
Declan Rice was pursued by several clubs in the summer, having recently captained West Ham to a historic Europa Conference League victory. He was eventually signed by Arsenal, where he was seen as a perfect addition. The transfer fee amounted to Ā£100 million, with an additional Ā£5 million in add-ons. This made him the most expensive player in Arsenal’s history and, at the time, set a new British transfer record.
Already, Rice has proven himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league. He has continued that form into the new season and remains a significant contributor to their success. He has already played in 12 games, scoring two crucial goals. Currently, Arsenal is in the second position in the league, and Rice plays a significant role in their success.
Both Declan Rice and Arsenal will hope to continue their excellent league form into the Champions League when they face Sevilla away on Wednesday.
