It could be said that Arsenal have had the perfect summer so far, welcoming the majority of their key targets, impressing in pre-season, before gaining a crucial edge over Manchester City by winning the Community Shield.The Gunners matched the treble winners all over the pitch to stay in the game, before Leandro Trossard’s deflected strike levelled things up for Mikel Arteta’s side, cancelling out Cole Palmer’s earlier goal.Down to penalties, it was Aaron Ramsdale with the heroics, saving Rodri’s spot-kick, before Fabio Vieira had the chance to seal it for Arsenal, which he did in emphatic fashion as he found the top corner.The North London side celebrated with the passion of a side who know just how important even the tiniest of mental gains can be against this Manchester City side.Declan Rice, winning his first trophy for the club, particularly impressed throughout, even displaying a key trait which shows why Arsenal splashed out for his signature this summer.

What did Declan Rice do vs Man City?

In ruthless fashion, as shared on the official Arsenal Twitter account, Rice sprinted back a great distance to dispossess Bernardo Silva with ease, who thought he had control of the ball, before the England international came striding in to win back possession.

It’s the type of recovery that could be so important for Arsenal, who do some of their best work in transition. If they can win the ball back quickly, and suffocate sides with constant pressure, then the Gunners could become even more dominant. And Rice would be a large part of that.

The defensive foundation that Rice and Thomas Partey provide together, too, should only boost Arteta’s side going forward, too, given the freedom that the likes of Martin Odegaard would suddenly receive.

Winning the Community Shield could only be the start for Rice and his new teammates, who will be gunning for the Premier League title in the coming season.

Who joined Arsenal in 2023?

Arsenal have had quite the summer of arrivals, signing Rice, Jurrien Timber, and Kai Havertz for a reported combined €232m (£200m). All three new arrivals started for the North Londoners in their victory over Manchester City, signalling a solid start to life for all of them.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Speaking after the game, Rice was left delighted with his first trophy for his new club, saying, via BBC: “I am buzzing, this is what I visioned when I joined.

“City gave us what we expected, but I am buzzing – so happy. You have to have the patience against them, you have to have mini games within the game against them like the manager said to us before.

“I feel I’ve grown a lot in the last three weeks. There’s a lot of information to take in of what the manager wants. I’m eager to learn and keep improving.

“I’m sure we can achieve anything this season – we just need to remain focused.”

Arsenal can now turn their attention to the opening day of the Premier League season, where they will square off against Nottingham Forest. They will hope to get off to the perfect start, as they look to compete on all fronts once again in the coming campaign.

Fans have been reacting to Rice’s recovery over Silva, some of which you can see below: