Declan Rice wins Arsenal’s October Player of the Month award

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has been named the club’s Player of the Month for October after a series of influential performances in the Premier League and Champions League. He received 45% of the fans’ votes, ahead of Ezri Konsa, Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke.

Rice contributed to decisive moments during the month: he set up Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal in Arsenal’s comeback against Leeds United, then played the ball to Madueke in the decisive move against Nottingham Forest. He also scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, completing his October tally with a goal and two assists, according to the report.

The report says Rice has created five goals from open play in the league this season, his highest total in this way in a single season so far. He had won Arsenal’s Player of the Season award for the second consecutive year, after helping the team claim the league title the previous season.

The report noted that Rice spoke in an interview with British GQ about his growing understanding of Mikel Arteta’s tactical demands and stressed the need to maintain high standards. He added that Arsenal lead the league by five points after their recent win over Hull City.