England had a remarkable international break.
Thomas Tuchel’s side won three of their four Nations League games, scoring 14 goals and picking up three clean sheets, including an incredible 7-0 demolition away against Croatia in Rijeka.
Four Arsenal players took part during this break — Bukayo Saka, Ezri Konsa, Eberechi Eze and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Noni Madueke, who played five games at the World Cup, missed out on a place this time around due to his lack of involvement at club level, while Declan Rice withdrew from the squad for load management reasons.
TalkingPoints graphic of Arsenal player Declan Rice, overlaid with a quote from Graeme Souness
TalkingPoints graphic of Arsenal player Declan Rice, overlaid with a quote from Graeme Souness
That’s more than understandable too. The Arsenal midfielder has made an astonishing 76 appearances for club and country since the start of last season. Gunners fans were actually relieved to see him drop out, with the hope that he’ll be fresh when the Premier League action returns. But England’s performances without him have sparked a debate among the fanbase.
England fans think they play better without Declan Rice
In Rice’s absence, minutes have been shared mainly between Lewis-Skelly and Alex Scott. The latter, who was linked to Arsenal in the summer, was excellent in the Croatia game alongside Elliot Anderson, while Lewis-Skelly was impressive throughout the break, establishing himself as a genuine rotation option in that position.
England looked balanced, energetic and refreshingly direct in a way that pleased supporters. And some can’t help but point to the absence of Declan Rice.
One fan put it bluntly on X: “Think there’s a big elephant in the room as to why England suddenly look really good.” As a Manchester City fan, you can put two and two together to realise what he’s alluding to.
Another commented, and was more specific: “The midfield actually moves forward because Declan Rice is not there taking five touches to turn into traffic against second tier opposition.”
A third offered perhaps a more nuanced take: “It is not that Rice is the problem — it is that him and Anderson as a two are not an ideal pairing. They are too similar and with both in there it slows things down. You can play one of the two, not both.”
One fan, meanwhile, acknowledged the level of opposition in the games that England have won during the break: “Probably playing Croatia and Czech”. And that’s partly true. Croatia were abysmal against England and Czech Republic are ranked outside the top 20 teams in Europe.
Against teams like Spain, France or Argentina — in games where perhaps England won’t have as much of the ball as they would like — you absolutely want Rice anchoring the midfield. There is no better midfielder in the world without the ball. His defensive contributions and ability are unmatched.
Arsenal fans can actually look at all this positively. Tuchel now has enough quality in that position to rotate Rice carefully, something Mikel Arteta has already started doing at club level. Rice can be managed, and England won’t fall apart without him. But whether they are better without him feels like a stretch.