Arsenal win was no fluke - Declan Rice showed why he could be Footballer of the Year

Arsenal win was no fluke - Declan Rice showed why he could be Footballer of the YearArsenal's winner against Sporting may have come in the 91st minute, but it was no backs-to-the-wall smash-and-grab; like he has done all season, Declan Rice ran the midfieldCommentsSportopinionJohn Cross Chief Football Writer11:17, 08 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesDeclan Rice was superb against Sporting(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)When the winning team’s keeper gets man-of-the-match the narrative quickly becomes they were lucky. David Raya got the UEFA award after making three great saves as Arsenal won at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday night.‌And no-one could argue with that because Raya has been brilliant for much of the season and it is hard to think of many better keepers in Europe right now. But, equally, Arsenal’s win was not a backs-to-the-wall, hanging on for dear life and a smash-and-grab goal at the end.‌It was measured, mature and controlled. They weathered the early storm, slowed the game down in the first half and looked excellent. In the second half, Arsenal were even better. They bossed the game, kept the ball well and they earned the win with Kai Havertz’s winner.‌At the heart of that performance was Declan Rice, who bossed midfield. If any player was missed at Southampton then it was him. Rice has been sensational this season for Arsenal. And if we are talking about Footballer of the Year candidates then it has to be him from an Arsenal perspective.FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Mikel Arteta agrees with Kai Havertz after Arsenal beat Sporting: "We are very lucky"READ MORE: Thierry Henry singles out Arsenal's biggest problem that could cost them Champions LeagueMy top three would be Rice, Raya and Gabriel. A few weeks back, I would have plumped for Gabriel. Now I would be inclined to vote for Rice.‌My view is always go for a player from the champions so there is a while...