Jamie Carragher Hails Declan Rice As Best Midfielder In The League
Jamie Carragher labels Arsenal’s record signing the country’s standout talent following a dominant masterclass at Anfield that solidified the Gunners' status as defensive powerhouses.
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Former Liverpool fullback Jamie Carragher has hailed Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as the best midfielder in the Premier League.
Speaking on Sky Sports alongside former Arsenal striker Ian Wright and former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, Carragher touched on Rice’s performance at Anfield before exclaiming that Rice is the best midfielder in the country.
The 48 year-old said “He's the best midfield player in the Premier League by a long way. It's not even a debate. Declan Rice is the best midfield player in this country." He then went further and said “I'm not an Arsenal fan, but sometimes I hear people speak about him and I'm sort of flabbergasted that they don't understand football and they're not watching the same game as me. He is a world class midfield player."
Rice was influential in helping The Gunners to break a 14 year wait for a win at Anfield when Arteta’s side registered a 0-1 victory against Iraola’s side on Sunday afternoon. Rice assisted Kai Havertz’ 16th minute strike with a sumptuous low cross to the back post. The goal was enough for Arsenal to seal all three points, with Rice at the heart of one of the best defensive displays Arsenal have put up in Arteta’s seven year reign as manager.
Rice’s assist for the only goal of the game put his tally to five for the current season, with the England International currently leading the way in the standings after nine games. His performance against Liverpool also earned him the Man Of The Match award.
The 27 year-old covered 11.4km against The Reds and was seemingly everywhere. His defensive workrate and discipline were top class, as well as his threat going forwards. The Englishman completed 38/44 (86%) of his passes, as well as creating two big chances in the match. Rice had a total of 63 touches in the game, making 12 line-breaking passes and three passes into the final third. He was not dispossessed a single time during the 90 minutes.
Declan Rice celebrates after providing the assist for Kai Havertz to make it 0-1 to Arsenal at Anfield (IMAGO / Propaganda Photo)
Declan Rice celebrates after providing the assist for Kai Havertz to make it 0-1 to Arsenal at Anfield (IMAGO / Propaganda Photo)
Arsenal signed Declan Rice from West Ham in the summer of 2023 for £105million and the midfielder seems to arguably be getting better as his career goes on in North London. He was influential last season in Arsenal being crowned Premier League Champions for the first time since 2004, and was also a massive part of the reason Arsenal reached a first Champions League final since 2006.
Rice has played 1079 minutes of football in all competitions so far this season, spread out across 13 fixtures. He has scored one goal, in the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League and has registered five assists, with all of them coming in the Premier League.
The midfield maestro will be looking to add to his tally as Arsenal travel to the Czech Republic on Wednesday evening to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League before The Gunners welcome Premier League newcomers Hull City to The Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon ahead of the international break.
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