Zubimendi's Impact Propels Rice Towards Elite Status as Arsenal Chase Quadruple

Declan Rice is operating at an elite level this term, and the Arsenal midfielder has singled out one key figure for his remarkable form: Martin Zubimendi.

Despite a stumble in the North London derby, Rice has delivered consistently stellar performances as Arsenal push hard for an unprecedented quadruple. The Gunners topped their Champions League group with a flawless record, recovered from a league wobble with a dominant display against Spurs, and currently sit five points clear of Manchester City—though Guardiola's outfit possess a game in hand and will face Arsenal in next month's Carabao Cup final whilst tackling Mansfield in the FA Cup fifth round.

Rice's midfield partnership with Zubimendi has proven transformative. Speaking about his teammate's influence, the England international reflected on his continuous self-improvement: "I think every year I've tried to raise my level and raise my game. It's something my dad always said to me, like, how are you going to improve every year? How are you going to get better?"

The 25-year-old acknowledged the Spanish midfielder's crucial role in his development. "Zubi has been a massive help this season. He's been really, really good. Once you get in that momentum and into the swing of things, your confidence comes, and there've been points this season where I felt unstoppable at times, and there's no better feeling than going onto a football pitch with confidence, you know you're going to go on and play well."

Rice emphasised the importance of establishing early dominance in matches, whether through headers, tackles, or physical contests. "I always have in my mind, first thing of the game, always do it to a good standard. If you win that, it gets your mind in the right place. Whereas if you lose it, it can have a negative impact and you start to think the other way."

The midfielder has naturally found himself drawn into Ballon d'Or conversations, though he remains measured about his prospects. "It's unreal, obviously. You want to be involved in them conversations. I think they're the right ones to be involved in," he said. "Obviously, I appreciate the fans for saying that."

However, Rice is keen not to become distracted by individual accolades. "It's such a long way away because I need to keep playing well. I need to keep maintaining this level. But also, you see the recent Ballon d'Or winners, what they've won during their season."

The midfielder stressed that collective success must take precedence. "Hopefully we can have a successful season and I can be involved in them conversations. That would be amazing. If not, that's not something that I'm setting my eye on. I really want the team to do well first."

With Arsenal still standing in every competition at this stage, Rice's focus remains on delivering the silverware his side is positioned to challenge for. "We're lucky enough to be in every competition still at this stage of the season. There's so many big teams who've been knocked out already. So we put ourselves in a really strong position to go forward and put ourselves in the best way."