Last season, Declan Rice’s corners were one of Arsenal’s most reliable weapons.

This season, the Gunners haven’t scored from a set piece at all. In fact, they haven’t scored from one since March. That might sound like a problem, but it hasn’t stopped Rice from creating goals.

Mikel Arteta revealed after the Leeds game that he’d told Rice in a private conversation that he’s “not the lighthouse anymore”, and his role has clearly changed. He’s sitting deeper at the base of midfield, but he’s also getting the ball forward far more often.

According to Sky Sports, Rice has made more line-breaking passes than any other player in the Premier League this season, and his final-third entries are up 25% on last season. Meanwhile, the backwards passing he’s often been criticised for has dropped. He’s averaging 4.6 backwards passes per 90 minutes, roughly half last season’s 8.8.

Declan Rice’s assists are now coming from open play

Rice has three assists in six Premier League games so far this season, second only to Brighton’s Pascal Gross, who has four. All three have come from open play, and all three have been big moments: a pass through the lines for Kai Havertz’s equaliser against Chelsea, and the assists for Bruno Guimaraes’ winners against Sunderland and Leeds.

That’s already more open-play assists than Rice managed in the whole of last season, when he finished with five in total in the league. His career best is eight, which he set in his first season at Arsenal in 2023/24.

Rice is creating chances from open play like never before, and his set-piece deliveries haven’t even started contributing yet. Arsenal won’t go a whole season without scoring from corners, and when that part of their game clicks again, Rice’s numbers will get a big boost.

If he keeps creating at his current rate, he’s on course for well over his career best, and that’s before adding a single set-piece assist. The Premier League record of 21, set by Bruno Fernandes last season, is probably a step too far for a player who now sits so deep. But a double-figure assist season looks very realistic.