Declan Rice has played 12 Premier League matches without receiving any suspensions.

The impact, the momentum to continue playing, then silence. This story is repeating itself with Arsenal this season, reaching an unbelievable milestone for Declan Rice: after 12 Premier League matches, the central midfielder has yet to be awarded a free kick.

Typical moments and recurring motifs

In the devastating derby against Tottenham, Mohammed Kudus lunged his studs into Piero Hincapie's stomach. Arsenal continued to play, Michael Oliver signaled to keep going because of their advantage – and then completely ignored the dangerous foul. Notably, this is the same referee who once showed Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card for a "dangerous tripping" incident.

This is no exception. This season, the pattern of Arsenal being given the advantage and then… not receiving any intervention in the initial foul has been repeated, especially in situations in the midfield – where Rice is often at the center of contact.

The numbers speak volumes about Rice and Arsenal's midfield.

• Declan Rice has not been awarded a single free kick in 12 Premier League matches.
• Rice was fouled 10 times and received one yellow card.
• Martin Zubimendi conceded 16 penalties but only had 4 awarded.
• The Rice-Zubimendi duo played a combined 2,015 minutes, but Arsenal only won 4 free kicks.

With a midfielder receiving the ball in a crowded area, often under pressure and tackles from behind, the above data series almost defies the conventional logic of top-level football. It illustrates the "invisibility" of fouls targeting Arsenal's midfield.

Tactics, pace, and tolerance levels.

Two layers of interpretation emerge from what happened. First, the way the game was officiated: the referee prioritized allowing Arsenal to control the tempo of the attack, then failed to address the original foul. Second, the way Arsenal played: an imposing style of football, with such a high tempo that quick and frequent tackles were easily overlooked.

In that picture, Rice is the symbol. He often receives the ball with his back to the ball, taking pressure both directly and from behind – situations that are usually "easy to penalize" in the midfield. The fact that Rice's penalty tally remains at 0 over 12 matches is not only unusual, it suggests either the referees set a high threshold for collisions in the areas where Arsenal operate, or the intensity and stability of the midfielders themselves cause collisions to be overlooked.

Reference framework: Zubimendi and processing plan

Zubimendi – another link in the midfield – also fell into a similar pattern, conceding 16 fouls but only having 4 awarded. Combining the duo's 2,015 minutes, Arsenal only conceded 4 fouls. This figure reinforces a more systemic approach to handling fouls rather than individual incidents.

The heated debate will continue.

Whether the reason stems from the team's management or how Arsenal maintain their tempo, the fact that Rice hasn't been penalized even once in 12 games is a "Premier League anomaly" this season. It raises questions about the line between advantage and disregard, between the intensity of play and the standards of protecting players in the midfield – where every ball must pass through.

And when the story touches on names like Michael Oliver or situations that have been handled very strictly, the debate is certainly not over.