Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists Declan Rice still has another level to reach as the England midfielder prepares to go head-to-head with Chelsea’s high-profile pairing of Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.

All three midfielders — whose combined transfer fees exceed £300 million — have been standout performers in the Premier League this season. They are expected to play central roles when league-leaders Arsenal, currently six points ahead of second-placed Chelsea, travel to Stamford Bridge for Sunday’s London derby.

Rice admitted this week that he selected Caicedo in his 2024/25 Team of the Year, but Arteta has no doubts about his own star’s potential for growth.

“Now, being with him every single day and getting to understand him and connect with him the way I have, we’re going to get even more from him,” Arteta said on Friday.

“He wants more, the team understands him better, and his influence on the group keeps growing. His impact is enormous.”

Rice built his reputation at West Ham as a deep-lying midfielder shielding the defence, but Arteta has broadened his responsibilities by pushing him into a more advanced role.

“I watched him for a long time before we signed him, and I knew how he could evolve and transform the team,” Arteta added. “He’s absolutely done that — and probably surpassed those expectations.”

Beyond his on-field versatility, Arteta sees Rice as a crucial leader for a squad aiming to end Arsenal’s two-decade wait for a Premier League title, their last coming in the 2003/04 Invincibles season.

“He was captain at West Ham,” Arteta noted. “Coming to a new club with an established structure, he still earned the right to expand his leadership role.

“He’s become more influential, he’s involved in everything we do, and he’s part of the leadership group, which is vital for us.

“He has a real presence. He doesn’t need the armband to feel connected, powerful, or important within the team.”