RICE FOR GOLD: EMMANUEL PETIT BACKS DECLAN RICE TO WIN THE 2026 BALLON D'OR
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit backs Declan Rice for the Ballon d'Or. Discover why the 2026 title race is Rice's time to shine.
Emmanuel Petit thinks Arsenal fans might have a lot to celebrate by the end of the season – a Premier League title after all these years and maybe even a Ballon d’Or winner in their squad.
Right now, Arsenal sit four points clear of Manchester City with just 12 games to go. It’s been almost two decades since they last won the league, and after three straight years finishing second, this feels different. The team finally looks ready to break the drought.
Yeah, they dropped points against Brentford with that 1-1 draw, but honestly, they’ll expect to bounce back on Wednesday against Wolves, who are struggling at the bottom. After that, all eyes turn to Sunday’s huge north London derby with Tottenham. Big week ahead.
Arsenal are still fighting on all fronts and are still alive in every competition, which is no small feat. Petit is backing them to finally grab that Premier League title, and he thinks that kind of success can open the door for individual awards too.
No Arsenal player has ever won the Ballon d’Or, but Petit believes Declan Rice could change that. Rice has been outstanding, both in the league and in Europe. If he keeps this up, and especially if he shines at the World Cup this summer, he’s got a real shot at picking up some big honours when the Ballon d’Or comes around in September.
Petit put it pretty simply: Declan Rice might be leading the Ballon d’Or race right now, but the World Cup matters too. Still, he’s clear Rice and Arsenal have to win something this season. You can be as talented as you want, but if you don’t have trophies to show for it, you’re not in the conversation with the best.
It’s not enough just to be recognised as a special player. To really be considered one of the greats, you need to win titles.
The closest Arsenal ever came to a Ballon d’Or winner was Thierry Henry finishing second in 2003, just behind Pavel Nedved. Now Rice, who’s 27 and cost Arsenal £105 million from West Ham last year, is probably their most important player. He’s already been named in back-to-back PFA Teams of the Year, helped England reach two European Championship finals, and just keeps raising his game.
Even Gary Lineker recently said Rice is one of the frontrunners for Premier League Player of the Season. He was chatting with his mates about it; if United keep going strong and Bruno Fernandes keeps piling up goals and assists, he’s in the mix too. Erling Haaland’s name always comes up, especially if he starts scoring again. Gabriel, Arsenal’s defender, deserves a shout as well.
But right now? There’s no clear winner yet. Still, Lineker called Bruno “a bloody good footballer", and you know what, the same goes for Rice. He’s been massive for Arsenal. And if things keep going their way, he could be lifting some serious silverware both for the team and on his own.
GABRIEL JESUS RANKS BUKAYO SAKA ALONGSIDE VINICIUS JUNIOR AND RODRYGO
Gabriel Jesus compares Bukayo Saka to Vinicius Junior as Arsenal sit nine points clear in the Premier League.
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Gabriel Jesus isn’t shy about putting Bukayo Saka right up there with the likes of Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and Rodrygo. When Rio Ferdinand asked him where Saka ranks among the best wide players in football right now, the Brazilian striker didn’t hesitate.
“They’re all at the same level,” Jesus said. He knows Saka as well as anyone, having played alongside him for four years at Arsenal. “He’s at the same table. Sure, they each play their own way, and they’ve had their ups and downs, but all of them step up in big moments. Saka’s earned his place in that group. He still needs to win a few big trophies, but those will come.”
For Jesus, it’s not just Saka’s talent that stands out; it’s his attitude. Despite all the pressure and the spotlight at Arsenal, Saka’s kept his feet on the ground. “Honestly, I’m a huge fan of his personality. He’s strong but so humble. These days, you don’t find many players who rise through the academy, become huge for the club, and still stay the same,” Jesus said.
With Arsenal heading into the season’s final stretch, Jesus sounds more optimistic than ever. He sees how the team’s grown under Mikel Arteta, with players like Saka leading the way, and he truly believes this is the squad to finally win the Premier League again. “I’m really confident. We’re in a great spot, and we have such a strong squad,” he said. “I believe 100% we’re doing something special this season.”
Saka’s influence has been massive. His form has kept Arsenal on top of the Premier League table, holding a nine-point lead over Manchester City even though City have a game in hand. Jesus, who arrived from City in 2022 with four league titles under his belt, thinks this team’s ready. They’ve fallen short before, but he’s convinced they can finish the job this time.
HOW EBERECHI EZE’S MONTH-LONG INJURY BLOW RESHAPES ARSENAL’S TREBLE PURSUIT
Arsenal playmaker Eberechi Eze is out for six weeks with a calf injury, missing the Champions League and FA Cup.
Arsenal’s hopes for a historic treble took a real hit with the news about Eberechi Eze. He’s out for at least a month, maybe longer, after picking up a serious calf injury at a pivotal point in the season. Honestly, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Mikel Arteta now has to face some tough fixtures without one of his key creative forces.
The BBC reports Eze will miss four to six weeks after getting injured in the Champions League win against Bayer Leverkusen. He already sat out Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City and pulled out of international duty. Arteta is still waiting for a full assessment from the medical team, but either way, the timing stings. Arsenal is chasing silverware in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup, and losing Eze now is just brutal. On the bright side, captain Martin Odegaard is nearing his return from a knee injury, which should take some pressure off in midfield.
Eze has been a huge part of Arsenal’s attack this season. Before his injury, he played in 43 matches – two for Crystal Palace before his late-August move and the rest for Arsenal. He’s racked up nine goals and six assists for the Gunners, cementing himself as a key figure up front. In the Premier League, he’s appeared 26 times and contributed six goals and two assists. His Champions League stats are solid, too: one goal and two assists in nine games.
With Eze out, England manager Thomas Tuchel called up Harvey Barnes from Newcastle United. Barnes is in red-hot form, with 14 goals across all competitions, and this move finally ends his nearly six-year absence from international play and shuts down any talk he might switch to Scotland.
Looking ahead, Arteta has a rough road without his star playmaker. Arsenal sits at the top with 70 points, nine clear of Manchester City (though City still have a game in hand). The team returns after the international break with an FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on April 4. Three days later, they head to Sporting CP for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Then, there’s a massive Premier League clash with Pep Guardiola’s squad on April 19. It’s a brutal stretch; Arsenal’s depth is about to be tested like never before.
