Jamie Carragher has hailed the \u201chuge influence\u201d of Declan Rice and a \u201ctactical shift\u201d from Mikel Arteta that\u2019s turned things around for Arsenal.<\/p>\n
Bukayo Saka\u2019s goal at the Emirates on Tuesday secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid<\/a><\/strong> in their Champions League semi-final while the Gunners sit five points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League<\/a><\/strong> with three games to play.<\/p>\n Rice is currently third favourite to win the Ballon d\u2019Or<\/a><\/strong> after outstanding and incredibly consistent displays for Arsenal this term.<\/p>\n The Gunners\u2019 form had dipped before a recent upturn saw them cruise to a 3-0 victory over Fulham in the Premier League ahead of them sealing aggregate victory over Atletico.<\/p>\n Martin Zubimendi \u2013 one of the key figures in Arsenal\u2019s fast start to the season \u2013 was dropped for both games in favour of academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, in a move which saw Rice dropped deeper in a \u201ctactical shift\u201d which Carragher insists has played a huge part in putting them within two games of an historic double.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Declan Rice was fantastic and the best player in both legs,\u201d Carragher said on CBS Sports after Arsenal knocked out Diego Simeone\u2019s Atletico Madrid.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though Arsenal find themselves where they are in the Champions League and the Premier League because of what they\u2019ve done over nine or ten months, they were definitely wobbling.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the last week they\u2019ve sorted themselves out and I think the decision to move Declan Rice a little bit deeper has had a huge influence.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he was really good out in Madrid and got the Man of the Match award in the second leg as well. In-between that Arsenal beat Fulham and it was the first time we\u2019ve really seen them look at ease and play free.<\/p>\n