Arteta explains why Declan Rice is 'not the lighthouse anymore'

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Mikel Arteta has revealed he told Declan Rice directly that his role at Arsenal has changed, declaring the midfielder is 'not the lighthouse anymore' as the numbers behind his evolving game begin to show.

Speaking after Arsenal's 2-1 win over Leeds, in which Rice set up Bruno Guimaraes' winner, Arteta explained the private conversation he had with Rice coming into the season. "I went to him and I said: 'You are not the lighthouse anymore. You are something else,'" the Arsenal manager said, as Sky Sports reported. "At the end of the season, I can tell you what [and] where I want to take him. But he's not the lighthouse anymore, he's something else and he needs to prove that on the pitch."

The 'lighthouse' tag had followed Rice since his 2023 move from West Ham, a term Arteta previously used to describe a player who brings "a focal point, clarity and direction to everybody"the same description Pep Guardiola once applied to Rodri at Manchester City, instructing him to stay still and "let everything revolve" around him.

A different kind of influence

This season has told a different story. Rice already has three assists from open play in six Premier League games, more than he managed across the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign. All three have followed a similar pattern, driving passes from outside the box that generated space for Guimaraes to score against Sunderland and Leeds, and a quick ball through the lines for Kai Havertz's equaliser against Chelsea.

The underlying numbers back up the shift. Rice's final third entries are up 25 per cent compared to last season and have doubled since 2024/25. His line breaking passes have also nearly doubled, and he now leads the entire Premier League in that category. At the same time, his backwards passes have dropped by 50 per cent, a notable change for a player previously criticised for playing too safe sideways and backwards.

Positionally, Rice has also moved. He now sits deeper at the base of Arsenal's midfield, shifted from the left sided No 8 role he occupied two seasons ago, which has allowed Myles Lewis-Skelly and Guimaraes greater freedom to push forward.

Still a hybrid threat

Rice has not abandoned his older attributes entirely. His backheel assist for Guimaraes' winner against Leeds showed he can still influence the penalty area, and he remains a genuine threat from corners and a dangerous ball carrier when driving forward.

What has changed is the addition of a new passing dimension to his game, one that mirrors a broader shift in how Arsenal are scoring. Every one of Arsenal's goals this season has come from open play, with the club yet to score from a set piece since March, a notable departure from the efficient, dead ball reliant side that won the Premier League last season.

As Arsenal head into a run of fixtures including Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest, Rice's continued development as both a shield in front of the back four and a creative outlet in the final third will remain central to how Arteta's side evolves this campaign.