Rice on returning Saka: "He’s the man!"

After seeing Bukayo Saka mark his return to action with what proved to be the winner against Fulham, Declan Rice is thrilled to have him back at the business end of the season.

Just six-and-a-half minutes after being introduced from the bench for his first action since before Christmas, Bukayo got himself on the scoresheet to achieve a cheer from the home crowd even louder than the one that followed after his number seven appeared on the fourth official’s board to signal his introduction from the bench.

And having seen up close just how much effort the winger has put in to get back fit after his hamstring surgery, his England teammate Declan is delighted for him personally, and professionally as the big games keep coming.

“You could see him coming off the pitch, how happy he was,” Declan said. “I think the reaction from the fans speaks for itself and how much he’s loved here. He’s the man isn’t he? He’s the one that we’ve all been waiting for to come back fit. We’ve got him back at a crucial time, so let’s see what happens.

“He’s worked so hard – really, really hard. I’ve seen him every day. It’s been a nice reset for him, even though he didn’t want to get injured. He’s back fit, he’s training, he’s ready.”

While Bukayo will take the headlines, Mikel Merino got the ball rolling with his sixth Premier League goal this season, his most in a single campaign in his league career.

Those numbers may seem staggering to some, given that the Spaniard is filling in as best he can, but Declan feels his ability means he had no doubts that our summer signing could operate up top effectively.

“He’s unbelievable,” he added. “Seeing him up close and in training, his technical quality – and what he has as a player and how he adapts himself to the team – is incredible.

“It’s not easy being a midfielder who can play eight or six, but then being asked to play nine is a whole different ball game, especially with how the manager wants to play. He’s put himself out for the team. He’s such a good guy and to score a proper striker’s goal is amazing.

“Most teams now come to Emirates Stadium and put up a back five against us so it’s tough to break down. But we stuck to our process and scored a good goal in the first half. Then obviously the Starboy came back and scored his goal in the second half, which was really special!

“Overall, good to get back out there and win the game. We’ve been away from each other 16 days, so to get back and win is a real positive. There are big games coming up, and it’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal player.”