Arsenal: Declan Rice proves difference again as transformation made clear by goalscoring form | OneFootball

Rice has becoming a reliable source of goals since Mikel Arteta turned to him as a No8

Declan Rice scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Newcastle to secure Champions League football for next season.

Rice found the net with a brilliant curling effort from just outside the penalty area 10 minutes into the second half.

Newcastle could have been ahead by that point, but David Raya denied them with string of excellent saves in the first half.

Simon Collings was at Emirates Stadium to see Arsenal in action…

Rice to the rescue

Not for the first time this season, Arsenal had Rice to thank for them securing all three points.

Even during a difficult and, ultimately, disappointing campaign for the Gunners, Rice has managed to shine.

This goal against Newcastle took his tally for the season to nine and, alongside his 10 assists, it is his best ever campaign in terms of attacking output.

Rice has now also scored more goals for Arsenal (16 in 102 games) than he did for West Ham (15 in 245 games).

It underlines the midfielder’s transformation since moving to Arsenal two summers ago. Rice has become an unlikely attacking weapon for Mikel Arteta, thriving as a No8.

He took this goal, here, brilliantly and fittingly it was that which split the two sides.

Bukayo Saka pounced on a loose ball on the right flank and he fed Martin Odegaard, who found Rice on the edge of the box. Without breaking stride, Rice ran onto the ball and curled it into the bottom corner. Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope had no chance.

Declan Rice could reach double figures for goals for the first time

AFP via Getty Images

Raya’s heroics end wait for clean sheet

Before today, Newcastle had already beaten Arsenal three times this season and they will, perhaps, wonder how they did not make it four.

Arsenal were 1-0 winners, but that did not tell the whole story - especially after a first half where the Gunners were rocking.

If Rice was the hero of the second half, then Raya was the hero in the first.

The Spaniard made multiple fine saves to keep Newcastle at bay and, had it not been for him, Arsenal would have been behind.

Raya made a brilliant double save to deny Bruno Guimaraes, a stunning reflex stop to keep out Dan Burn’s header and another diving effort to thwart Harvey Barnes.

Arsenal conceded five shots on target in the first half of a game in all competitions for the first time since April 2023 - and on that occasion they went in at the break 2-0 down.

David Raya was forced to make five first-half saves

Action Images via Reuters

Havertz returns ahead of schedule

When Kai Havertz injured his hamstring in February, the expectation was that he would not play again this season.

Indeed, in their statement on the club website, Arsenal said how the German’s recovery could even stretch into this summer's pre-season.

Havertz, however, has managed to return way ahead of schedule and he marked his comeback, here, with 15 minutes off the bench.

It was a welcome boost for Arsenal, not least because they were trying to see out the game as Newcastle pushed for an equaliser.

Arteta believes Havertz has returned an improved physical condition, explaining on Friday how the German has used this break to bulk up.

Given Arsenal will sign a new striker in the summer, Havertz will have competition for his place and so an early return before the end of this season is a ideal for him.