Arsenal produced one of their less glamorous performances of the season at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
Just like last season, Arsenal and Chelsea were unable to be separated at Stamford Bridge, playing out another 1-1 draw.
The Gunners will be the more disappointed party leaving the Bridge, as Moises Caicedo was sent off in the first half, seeing Mikel Arteta’s side face ten men for the majority of the contest.
Before the game, there was a lot of discussion about how Caicedo compares to Declan Rice, a debate that wasn’t exactly ended on matchday 13, as there were issues with both players’ performances.
- READ MORE: Moises Caicedo made his feelings about Arsenal star Declan Rice perfectly clear after comparisons
Pat Nevin thought Declan Rice was poor against Chelsea
Enzo Maresca is a huge fan of Rice and would’ve spent a lot of time talking about the midfielder’s threat ahead of Sunday’s clash.
What the Chelsea manager might not’ve anticipated is the role that Rice would play, something that Pat Nevin commented on when speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage.
“It’s a bit of a disappointment, but Declan Rice is so, so deep,” Nevin said, even asking if Rice was injured because he was perceived to be so far from his usual self.
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“He’s spent most this second half at centre-back. Is he injured? Is something wrong? He’s not getting forward, you’re a goal down and a man up, go forward – that’s what you’re good at Declan Rice.
“Unless he’s been told to be a little more negative, but that should not be the case. Declan Rice has so much more to offer.”
The Scotsman felt as though Rice had more to offer against Chelsea, but when looking at the midfielder’s statistics, it’s clear to see that he was merely doing his job.
Rice was actually one of Arsenal’s best players against Chelsea
It could be that, because Rice is so good in the final third, when he drops deeper, it looks as though Arsenal are missing something.
| Declan Rice vs Chelsea |
| 85 touches |
| 93% pass success |
| 1 key pass |
| 4 clearances |
| 4 recoveries |
Against Chelsea, Rice didn’t deliver the usual attacking influence that he’s known for, but he marshalled the middle of the park well when Arsenal needed moments of calm.
The 26-year-old completed 93% of his passes and got stuck in defensively, recording four clearances and pulling off four recoveries.
It was a different kind of performance from Rice, but not one that was by any means poor, as he simply showed off his versatility between the number eight and six roles.
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