Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is a big fan of a player that the Reds will have to contain this week when Arne Slot's side comes up against Arsenal in the Premier League
15:22, 06 Jan 2026
Former Liverpool defender and current Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has offered his opinion
Former Liverpool defender and current Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has offered his opinion(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool will face perhaps its toughest game of the season on Thursday when it takes on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Arne Slot's side is currently 14 points behind the Gunners.
With quality and strength in depth across the field, Arsenal looks well-placed to win a first Premier League title since 2004, now six points clear of Manchester City in second. But Liverpool will be looking to throw a spanner in the works, having won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Anfield thanks to a Dominik Szoboszlai goal.
Szoboszlai has been one of the stand-out midfielders in the country this season, but it is Arsenal's Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo who have arguably been the best across the division.
OPINION
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And Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is a big fan of Rice, in particular, who he says is marginally better than Caicedo for one key reason.
"He's very close, but he wouldn't be the best for me," Carragher said on Monday Night Football in October. "If you're talking about an all-round midfielder, I think Declan Rice would just pip him.
"I think he has just got that little bit of extra quality with the ball. There is no doubt, if you think back to last Christmas, he was as good as anyone in the Premier League. Rice just has the edge [over Caicedo] with his passing."
Declan Rice has become one of Arsenal's most important players since joining from West Ham
Declan Rice has become one of Arsenal's most important players since joining from West Ham(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Last season, Rice scored two sensational free-kicks as Arsenal knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League. The Gunners were eliminated in the round after that, losing 2-1 to eventual champion PSG.
"I have always said Rice has the potential to be the great English midfielder of his generation, and he showed why," Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column back in April 2025.
"Too often, he seems to be criticized for not scoring or creating enough goals, when that is not his primary function.
"He does not play in the same attacking midfield position as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in their prime. To me, Rice has always been more of a Roy Keane, who scored 57 across his 473 senior club games.
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"If Arsenal go through, Rice’s contribution over both legs will rightly be as revered by his supporters as much as Keane’s for United against Juventus in 1999."
Rice is expected to start as Arsenal takes on Liverpool. Slot's side will be without key men, including Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah, and they are facing a nervous wait to discover if Hugo Ekitike can feature.
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Liverpool.com says: The trip to Arsenal is a huge test for the Reds. Slot's side will need to play well — and defend much better from set-pieces — to stand a chance. Getting even a point would be a positive.