Arsenal produced a below-par performance against Manchester United on Sunday, despite claiming all three points.
Mikel Arteta’s side won 1-0 at Old Trafford, courtesy of a short-range header from Riccardo Calafiori inside the opening 15 minutes.
The Italian defender pounced on a mistake from Altay Bayindir following a Declan Rice corner, nodding home from a yard out.
While the Gunners were able to hold on to secure just their fourth victory away at United in the last 20 years, Mikel Arteta will be far from satisfied with the way his players performed on the day.
Declan Rice was Arsenal’s worst player against Manchester United
Declan Rice was one of Arsenal’s best players last season.
However, the Englishman did start the 2024/25 campaign slowly, and it appears as though he may need some time to get up to scratch this term.
Viktor Gyokeres has earned his fair share of criticism for his display against United, as has Gabriel Martinelli, but Rice’s drab showing has gone under the radar.
The Englishman didn’t look fully fit, struggling to pick up the second balls in the typically efficient manner that he does.
Peripheral in the first half, his lack of presence in possession and sloppiness when he did have it meant Arsenal failed to control the game and thus failed to take the sting out of the Old Trafford crowd.
Martin Zubimendi received some praise for his display, although Rice looked confused on some occasions about the rotations he was supposed to have with the Spaniard.
Arsenal’s left-hand side was dysfunctional, and this was largely a result of the former West Ham man looking completely out of sorts when he had the ball.
Not his finest showing, Rice will almost certainly respond with an improved performance against Leeds next time out.
Declan Rice’s statistics vs Manchester United
At his best, Rice is an exceptional passer who helps the Gunners progress the ball, while he does lots of defensive work to prevent opposition transitions.
Against United, Arsenal struggled to get the ball into the final third frequently enough, while the Red Devils were able to bypass their midfield with ease at times.
This is because Rice had an off-day regarding his best attributes.
| Rice’s Statistics vs Man Utd | |
| Minutes Played | 83 |
| Ground Duels Won | 0/1 (0%) |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Accurate Passes | 20/25 (80%) |
| Key Passes | 0 |
| Touches | 32 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 2 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
Completing no tackles, winning no duels and making just three ball recoveries, this was a weak defensive showing from Arsenal’s midfield maestro.
In possession, he completed just 80% of his passes and just two passes into the final third, struggling to exert any real influence.
Rice will need to be much better than this if the Gunners are to mount another charge for the Premier League title.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
