Ian Wright says one Arsenal player ‘didn’t look himself’ vs Man Utd, it was really ‘strange’

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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has spent some time reflecting on the Gunners’ opening day win at Old Trafford.

Arsenal started the season with a win at a ground that hasn’t been kind to them over the years. 

Mikel Arteta is changing how fans feel ahead of trips to Old Trafford, with the sound of 1-0 to the Arsenal becoming a trend. 

Though the Gunners got the job done, it wasn’t a performance to shout about, as several players struggled against Man United. 

• READ MORE: Winners and losers from Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United include Viktor Gyokeres and Riccardo Calafiori

Ian Wright is concerned about Declan Rice

One player who had a really tough game was Declan Rice, who left the midfield looking disjointed. 

Rice and Martin Zubimendi’s partnership needs time to configure, which will happen faster if the Englishman returns to his old ways. 

After the win at Old Trafford, Gary Neville admitted Rice couldn’t have been worse in the contest, with the Sky Sports pundit not the only one to notice the 26-year-old’s fragility. 

Speaking on the Arseblog Arsecast podcast, Ian Wright shared his concern about Rice’s performance. 

“I think that Declan didn’t look himself for some reason,” the Arsenal legend said. 

“I don’t know, it was strange to see, but Zubimendi, as the game got on, you just saw what he’s going to bring.

“So all it is now is just for the guys to switch on. We’re at home, we have to win all our home games.”

Some home comforts might be all that Rice needs, as Arsenal return to the Emirates on matchday two to take on newly-promoted Leeds United. 

What made Rice so poor against Man United?

It’s no surprise that Wright is concerned about Rice, as it’s very rare to see the England international have a bad game.

Against United, nothing seemed to work for the midfielder, who only had 32 touches on the ball and was unable to impose himself on the game.

Rice failed to win a single duel and completed 80% of his passes, far lower than his 90% average last season in the Premier League.

In Rice’s case, with high standards come high expectations, so when a below-par performance occurs, things look more sinister than they perhaps are.

Against Leeds, the 26-year-old will be eager to get himself back to full flow, which will only make Arsenal better.