During the Premier League era, the most important position on the pitch has shifted with the times. In the nineties and early 2000s, the striker - the main source of goals - sat at the heart of the country’s top squads and, as a result, commanded the biggest contracts and most extravagant transfer fees. Then came the rise of the winger, which took England by storm, with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale stealing the spotlight.
These days, however, managers have developed a new obsession: securing a world-class defensive midfielder. For a while, it felt as though only Manchester City had cracked the code with Rodri, but once rival clubs realised just how crucial he was to Pep Guardiola’s domestic dominance, they quickly followed suit. This season, Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice have arguably been the two standout examples.
In the same summer that Rice smashed Arsenal’s transfer record with his £105m move from West Ham, Chelsea moved swiftly - after numerous drawn-out attempts - to land Caicedo for a then-British-record £115m on the 2023 summer deadline day. But which of the two is performing better statistically in the 2025/26 campaign? We’ve taken a deep dive to find out.
Attacking & Possession Statistics
Caicedo is talismanic, Rice is a creative livewire
Declan Rice celebrates after scoring Arsenal free-kick vs Real Madrid
Declan Rice celebrates after scoring Arsenal free-kick vs Real Madrid
Although Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca expect the pivot in their midfield to provide a strong defensive presence, any number six still needs to offer something going forward. Interestingly, it’s tough to separate - or even compare - Caicedo and Rice in this area, because the pair bring completely different qualities to the table.
If it’s goals from deep a manager wants, they need look no further than Chelsea’s key man in the middle. Despite taking fewer shots per game than Rice, Caicedo has scored more and boasts the remarkable record of hitting the target with every single one of his Premier League efforts this season. Even more impressively, 75 per cent of those shots end up in the back of the net - a case of quality over quantity if ever there was one.
Rice, meanwhile, is far the stronger creator. That was always likely to be the case for a player who takes free-kicks and corners for a side that leans heavily on set-pieces. Arsenal have scored 10 goals from corners in all competitions this season - the most across Europe’s big-five leagues - and 17 from set-pieces overall, more than any Premier League club in 2025/26. Unsurprisingly, Rice creates nearly two big chances per match and already has three assists to his name.
Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice's 2025/26 Attacking & Possession Statistics Compared (Per 90)
Stat
Goals
Assists
Shots
Shooting accuracy (excl blocks)
Shooting success
Big chances Created
Passing success
Defensive Statistics
Caicedo is more important to Chelsea out of possession than Rice is to Arsenal
Moises Caicedo-1
Defensively, it’s evident that Caicedo exerts a greater influence than Rice. Part of that may be down to Arsenal’s structure, where the responsibility of shielding the backline is shared - with Martin Zubimendi, among others, doing his part - but the gap between the two midfielders is still striking.
Caicedo posts more tackles per 90 minutes, wins a higher percentage of ground duels, and registers more blocked shots, interceptions and ball recoveries. At times, he looks like the be-all and end-all of Chelsea’s defensive efforts. That’s not always ideal from a Stamford Bridge perspective, but it does underline just how omnipresent the Ecuadorian has been this season.
Even so, expecting Rice to dominate the defensive conversation was always a tall order in a side boasting the best record across Europe’s top five leagues - fewest goals conceded, fewest shots on target faced and the most clean sheets. Add to that the fact he now plays slightly higher up the pitch than in previous campaigns, and the contrast becomes easier to understand.
Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice 2025/26 Defensive Statistics Compared (Per 90)
Stat
Tackles Made
Aerial duel success rate
Ground duel success rate
Clearances
Interceptions
Blocked Shots
Ball recoveries
Verdict
Caicedo is having a more influential season
Chelsea's Moises Caicedo celebrates scoring against Ajax in the Champions League.
UEFA Champions League - Chelsea v Ajax Amsterdam - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 22, 2025 Chelsea's Moises Caicedo celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Of the 14 different statistics we examined, Caicedo comes out on top in nine, making it hard to look past the Chelsea midfielder when judging who is having the better campaign. It’s worth stressing that both players are among the very best midfielders in the world right now, and this comparison is a statistical snapshot rather than an eye-test verdict.
As mentioned earlier, Caicedo is, at times, a one-man band in keeping Chelsea’s structure intact, whereas Rice is a world-class cog in a machine packed with influential contributors. Even so, the fact that Rice has received the bulk of the hype while Caicedo is quietly outperforming him statistically only highlights just how impressive the Ecuadorian has been this season.
With the engine to score at one end and snuff out danger at the other, there may not be a more indispensable player to his team anywhere in world football right now than the 24-year-old. And while both Rice and Caicedo were initially scrutinised for their eye-watering transfer fees, those price tags are starting to look more like half-price deals - especially if their influence eventually translates into silverware as they lock horns in a top-of-the-table clash this weekend.