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Andros Townsend claims Arsenal have their very own James Ward-Prowse now
Andros Townsend believes Arsenal have found their very own James Ward-Prowse in Declan Rice now.
Declan Rice has emerged as a surprise set-piece taker for Arsenal in recent weeks. The 25-year-old grabbed two assists against his former side West Ham on Sunday.
Both came from set-pieces, with his first a brilliant delivery from a corner and his second from a free-kick.
He also provided an assist from a corner in the 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last month and Andros Townsend believes Arsenal may have their very own set-piece specialist now.
Townsend says Arsenal have their very own Ward-Prowse
Speaking on , Townsend compared Rice to James Ward-Prowse, who has become renowned for his set pieces in recent years.
“Watching that yesterday I think his delivery is as nice on the eye as maybe not David Beckham, but as nice on the eye as James Ward Prowse,” the former Tottenham man said.
“He seems to get it on the money every time. He seems to get so much whip on the ball.
“Attackers love players who can whip in the ball and defenders hate facing the ball which is whipped in with pace.
“I think the only reason he hasn’t been taking them before is because he’s 6ft and you’d want him on the end of it. Because the way he whipped in the ball vs West Ham it’s no surprise that he is Arsenal’s set-piece taker.”
Of course, Ward-Prowse is arguably the best set-piece taker in the Premier League. The West Ham star excels from dead-ball situations and has truly mastered the art of free-kick taking.
While Rice has some way to go to reach Ward-Prowse’s prowess from set-pieces, he has proven he can deliver an excellent ball into the box.
Not many would have expected Rice to take up corner duties for Arsenal but it has emerged as a real weapon for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Given his success from wide areas of late, it will be intriguing to see if Rice gets a chance to take any direct free-kicks for Arsenal over the coming weeks.