Arsenal have the chance to go as many as 10 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table should they beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
Manchester City play later that night away to West Ham United, and should another result go their way, the Gunners can begin to really dream of a first Premier League title since the Invincibles season in 2003/04, a whole 22 years ago.
Mikel Arteta's side have finished in second place three seasons in a row and have bought elite players in the transfer market to try and get them to go one better.
One of those was Declan Rice from West Ham in the 2023 summer window, who cost a club-record £105m, and he has consistently been one of Arsenal's best players since he put on the red and white shirt.
The Englishman was recently named the Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards for the third time, highlighting his incredible performances this season.
Nonetheless, Rice could inspire Arsenal to another crucial win against Everton, and put them one step closer to lifting the coveted Premier League trophy.
Can Declan Rice inspire Arsenal to victory?
One skill that stands out with Rice this season is his chance creation – only Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (92) and Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai (56) have created more chances than him (55) in the Premier League this season.
Rice's five assists are the joint-most in the Arsenal squad, while he also averages the joint-most key passes (1.9) and the most crosses (1.4) per game.
This highlights his influence on the pitch to get on the ball and try to make things happen, and he will look to drive the team forward against Everton in front of an expecting home crowd.
Another weapon that Rice possesses is his set-piece delivery, with Arsenal the most deadly from them in the league (19).
He often takes in-swinging corners from the left-hand side, as well as free-kicks, and given the Gunners' prowess in these situations, we think backing him to assist at 7/2 with bet365 looks a worthy punt.
Declan Rice's record against Everton
Rice has played Everton 17 times as a player combined with West Ham and Arsenal, winning nine, drawing three and losing five.
Interestingly, he has never scored or assisted against the Toffees, but that could well change on Saturday.
Arsenal's general record against Everton is very strong – they have won more matches against the Toffees (112) than any other side.
The Gunners are also unbeaten in the last six meetings between the two teams (W4, D2), including the previous four at the Emirates (W3, D1).
In fact, Arsenal have only lost once at home to Everton since 1996, so the Gunners should be expected to get a positive result.
Rice can inspire them to do that, so look out for him to potentially provide an assist.
