Declan Rice did Mikel Arteta huge favour as Arsenal transfer plea granted

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has plenty of reasons to thank Declan Rice

Arsenal are on fire at the moment - and they have Declan Rice to thank. Not just for his string of scintillating performances, but for pushing the club to make crucial summer reinforcements.

Last season, the Gunners finished Premier League runners-up for the third year running and reached their first Champions League semi-final since 2009. Yet the campaign still felt like a step back for Mikel Arteta's side, who ended with 15 fewer league points than in 2023/24.

Upgrades had to be made - and Rice made that clear in the wake of Arsenal's agonising Champions League exit to PSG in May. "Hopefully, we strengthen in the summer, sign more players because we are probably gonna lose a few as well," he said.

"We are gonna come back next year and be ready, be stronger and even more hungry to win something for this club. That's what we all want."

The midfielder's words were heeded. Arsenal invested £256million in new talent, intent on transforming themselves from nearly-men into genuine champions.

They spent £63m on Viktor Gyokeres who - despite a slightly underwhelming start in north London - has finally given the side a true focal point and a reliable source of goals. A further £67m went on Eberechi Eze, whose dynamism has enriched Arsenal's attack and who has already repaid a chunk of his fee with a stunning hattrick against Tottenham.

Noni Madueke arrived to add much-needed depth to the front line, while Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard bolstered the midfield with technical quality and control. At the back, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera were brought in to reinforce the defence while Kepa Arrizabalaga joined to provide valuable European and Premier League experience as David Raya's deputy.

All in all, the Gunners look as well-oiled and well-rounded as they've ever been under Arteta. And though they're not steamrolling teams every week, they're playing with a level of dominance and assurance - at home and abroad - that signals a season on the brink of something defining.

Right now, Arsenal sit top of both the Premier League and the Champions League group. In Europe, they've made a perfect start, highlighted by a 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid and a 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Their domestic campaign began more tentatively. A 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in August and a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in September - rescued by a late Gabriel Martinelli equaliser - hinted that there was still work to be done.

Since then, however, they've won 12 of their last 13 matches in all competitions, keeping nine clean sheets in the process. That defensive solidity left them, at one stage, on pace to break Chelsea's record for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season (15).

The clean sheets have dried up in recent weeks, but with the Gunners looking dominant in all areas of the pitch, it shouldn't be enough to halt their momentum - momentum that currently has them favourites to end a 20-plus year wait for a Premier League title - and to lift the Champions League for the very first time.

And if this trajectory holds, Rice's rallying cry in May might just prove to be the catalyst that finally turned Arsenal's promise into glory.