England wrapped up their November schedule with a steady 2-0 win over Albania. Declan Rice played a major role in the match, but in a slightly different place on the pitch.
The Arsenal man started in the heart of the midfield and stayed on the field for 62 minutes. His calm work helped England keep control in the middle and remain firm at the back.
Rice shows control in deeper role
Rice lined up with Adam Wharton and Jude Bellingham, and the three midfield players worked well as a group.
England had already booked their place at the next World Cup, so this match gave Thomas Tuchel a chance to try out a few new ideas.
It also gave the players space to get a better feel for the coach’s plans as they look ahead to future matches.
Rice saw plenty of the ball in his deeper role. He ended the game with 38 touches as he moved across the midfield and helped the defenders start attacks.
He also stepped forward when needed to break up play. His reading of the game stood out, and he stayed very aware of danger each time Albania tried to move forward.
Despite playing 62 minutes, Rice delivered a standout display. He won 100% of his tackles, 100% of his ground duels, and 100% of his aerial duels.
Those numbers demonstrated the extent to which he brought control to the team, even with fewer minutes on the pitch.
Rice kept the ball moving with ease and finished the match with an 83% passing rate. He completed 24 of his 29 passes and remained steady under pressure.
England close break with strong finish
England scored twice and kept a clean sheet to end their international break with a solid performance.
The match gave Tuchel clear signs of progress as he continued to shape the team into a unit that can play with purpose in and out of possession. The players also gained more time to settle into the coach’s ideas.
For Rice, the break came to an end without any issues, and he now turns his focus back to Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side face a very busy run of fixtures in the coming weeks.
Arsenal will take on Tottenham Hotspur first in a key league match. They will then return to European action against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. After that, they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.
Rice is expected to play a crucial role in those matches as Arsenal aims to maintain their strong position in the league and continue to progress in Europe.
Stats from Sofascore.com