'He's been unreal' - Declan Rice sings praises of Arsenal summer signing after Gunners extend lead at top of Premier League table

Arsenal moved six points clear of Villa with their 3-2 win over Bournemouth, thanks to the midfielder's exceptional brace. Rice had missed the win over Villa, but returned with a vengeance against the Cherries. Gabriel was also on the scoresheet, and Zubimendi impressed with his assured performance in the heart of the Gunners' midfield. Rice has reserved special praise for the summer signing from Real Sociedad, who has played in every league game thus far this season, and scored in Rice's absence against Villa. 

Rice told reporters: "I think don’t underestimate to come from La Liga to come into this team.

"He’s not the biggest player or the strongest, but his brain, the way it works, allows the team to function in such a good way.

"He’s been unreal. He’s played so many minutes for us, the way he gets on the ball, obviously he’s Spain’s No.6 at the minute and rightly so, you see the quality he brings, the calmness, the composure, the way he thinks.

"It’s been great to play with him. I’m learning a lot and we’ve built a really good partnership, so long may that continue because we’re both young, we’re both fresh and we want to keep building that together."

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Zubimendi has also spoken about Rice's quality, insisting that he was "surprised" by the England star's ability when he first joined the Gunners.

He said: "Once I came here one of the things that motivated me the most was playing with a player like Declan. I think he’s been a good player until this year, but I think this year, from what I see and how happy I see him, I think he’s taking a leap forward so I’m very happy to be able to help him in that regard. And he helps me too. We all know how Declan is. A very complete player, physically, technically, set pieces. And his personality is something that has surprised me. He wants to be a protagonist in the dressing room. And on the pitch for a teammate like me in midfield, I think it’s vital having someone who wants to be the protagonist who wants the ball, who helps you. It’s the perfect complement."

Arsenal face Liverpool on Thursday in the Premier League before playing Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup. Zubimendi will almost certainly be needed in the former fixture, having previously been compared with Rodri, Manchester City's Ballon d'Or winner.

Gaizka Mendieta said: "When I think of Martin Zubimendi at Arsenal, I think of Rodri at Manchester City. City can have other players that can play in that role like Nico Gonzalez but it's not the same. That's why Rodri has been one of the best players in the Premier League since he arrived. He's the kind of player that you might not see much because they're not always on the ball or not allowed on the ball. But his position, how they give freedom to teammates, how he allows other players around him to do things is not always visible, but it's very important. You can't put your finger on why it's not happening when Rodri isn’t there, but it makes a difference whether they are on the pitch or not. They allow other players to do things that they can't do when they're not there, it’s a very similar situation for both."