'Get him up front' - Ivan Toney & Chloe Kelly react to Declan Rice’s goal-scoring heroics as title-chasing Arsenal star earns 'too good' billing from Lionesses icon

The Arsenal juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down in 2026, but their latest victory on the south coast required a monumental effort from their record-breaking midfielder. On a rainy Saturday afternoon at the Vitality Stadium, with the Gunners trailing and their lead at the top of the Premier League table under threat, Rice grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Returning from a minor knee issue that had kept him out of the midweek action, the 26-year-old delivered a captain-worthy performance, scoring twice in the second half to turn a precarious 1-1 deadlock into a vital 3-2 victory.

Mikel Arteta’s side are now six points clear at the summit, a gap that is beginning to look ominous for chasers Manchester City and Liverpool. But while the three points were the headline statistic, it was Rice’s sudden transformation into a clinical finisher that dominated the post-match discourse as well as the comments section of his Instagram feed.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday evening to celebrate the comeback, Rice posted an image from the match, captioned with a simple message of dedication to the travelling supporters. The post quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, but it was the comments from his fellow professionals that caught the eye.

Toney, the England striker never afraid to speak his mind, was among the first to react. Toney, who knows a thing or two about finding the back of the net, appeared genuinely taken aback by the composure Rice showed for his second goal - a swept finish into the bottom corner that a seasoned number nine would have been proud of.

"Get him up front," Toney commented, adding two heart-eye emojis to emphasise his point.

The comment, while tongue-in-cheek, reflects the growing sentiment that Rice has evolved far beyond the defensive destroyer role he made his name in. With four goals to his name this season already, he is posting numbers that rival many forwards, leading Toney to playfully suggest that Arteta might be wasting him in the engine room.

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It wasn't just the men's game paying tribute. Kelly, the Arsenal and England women's winger whose own heroics have etched her name into Wembley folklore, also joined the chorus of praise. The Lionesses star kept her assessment brief but emphatic, commenting "Too good" under the celebratory post.

The praise is well-deserved given the context of the match. The north Londoners had started sluggishly, falling behind to an early Evanilson strike following a rare error from Gabriel Magalhaes. After the Brazilian defender atoned for his mistake with an equaliser, Rice stepped up. In the 54th minute, he drove forward to collect a lay-off and curled a sumptuous effort into the far corner to give his side the lead. It was a goal of pure class, but he wasn't done yet.

Less than 20 minutes later, with Bournemouth pushing for an equaliser, the Englishman ghosted into the box to meet a Bukayo Saka cut-back, slotting home with his weaker foot to effectively seal the points, despite a late consolation screamer from the hosts making the final seconds nervy.

This performance was the latest evidence that Rice has become the heartbeat of this team. His partnership with Spanish international Martin Zubimendi has provided the league leaders with a perfect blend of steel and silk, allowing the midfielder the freedom to roam forward that he was often denied in his earlier years at West Ham.