Declan Rice’s goal against Chelsea not only secured a unique record for Arsenal in the Premier League but also drew inspiration from David Beckham. While the goal appeared to be a straightforward finish into an empty net, the Premier League confirmed that it was the longest-range goal ever scored by an Arsenal player in the competition.
It’s important to note that data tracking companies began recording such information in the 2006/07 season, so these records only span the last 17 years. Nevertheless, Arsenal has had its fair share of goals during that time.
After the game, Rice disclosed that he had drawn inspiration from David Beckham, specifically after watching the English international’s documentary the night before.
Rice shared, “Everyone’s been talking about this Beckham documentary, and I watched it for the first time last night. The first couple of clips are the game against Wimbledon where he scored from the halfway line, and I took a lot of belief from that.”
It’s somewhat coincidental that he watched Beckham’s documentary the night before scoring a long-range goal. Rice emphasized the importance of continuous shooting, saying, “If you shoot, you score!”
His goal kickstarted Arsenal’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit, and for his outstanding performance, Rice received Arsenal’s Player of the Match award. This goal was his second in a major match against a big-six opponent, following his previous goal against Manchester United, where he secured the lead in injury time.
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