Declan Rice has said he hopes Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka can break the Premier League’s single-season assist record this season.
Saka leads the standings in the race for the Premier League’s Playmaker Award, having notched up 10 assists in 13 league appearances.
The 23-year-old is already halfway to the Premier League’s single-season record of 20 assists, jointly held by former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20).
Saka’s dangerous deliveries have helped Arsenal score more set-piece goals than any other team in the division this season (7) and the Gunners scored twice from dead-ball situations to beat Manchester United on Wednesday night.
Saka was involved in the second goal, though did not claim the assist as his corner was headed back across goal by Thomas Partey for William Saliba to convert.
Rice, who assisted Jurrien Timber’s opener from a corner kick of his own, said Saka will have been ‘fuming’ to not add another assist as he sets his sights on the record.
“He’d have been fuming!” Rice, who has four assists this season, joked when speaking to the media at full-time.
“That would have been another one closer to the record. I want him to get that, that’d be massive for him. There’s no competition (between them for assists) – as long as we keep putting good balls in and our big centre-halves keep scoring, there’s not a problem.”
On his own set-piece deliveries this season, Rice added: “There were a couple tonight that were really good. I think that every time I was going to take the corner, I knew it was going to be a good ball. In my head I was just thinking about putting it in the same spot and in the end with repetition, you end up scoring goals.
“This year has been my biggest output in terms of goals and assists throughout the year, so I’m really happy with that. It’s been a slow start to the season for me personally, I think off the back of a long Euros it’s taken a while for me to get going, but I think the last few weeks I’ve been feeling much better and back to my best.
“Tonight, I just had a different energy. I just wanted to do anything for the team to win and in the second half, I would have done anything tonight to get the three points. I’m buzzing.”
