Arsenal began their 2024/25 Champions League campaign with a draw against Atalanta in Italy.
The game in Bergamo was always going to be hard for the Gunners. It is a really tough place to go to, and Atalanta have proven in recent years that they can hurt big teams – just ask Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal deserve credit for their defensive performance against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. Mikel Arteta’s game plan, for the most part, worked to perfection, but his side just couldn’t create enough chances to win the game.
Overall, a point away at Atalanta is not a bad result at all.
What the Italian media are saying about Declan Rice after Atalanta vs Arsenal
Declan Rice returned to Arsenal’s lineup after missing the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur due to domestic suspension.
The England international is one of the Gunners’ best players, and whenever he is at his peak level, Arsenal tend to come away with a positive result.
However, in Bergamo, Rice had a mixed game against Atalanta.
The Englishman was solid out of possession and helped out defensively. But, on the ball, he was a bit slow at times and lost possession on a few occasions.
Arsenal Insider gave Rice a 5/10 rating for his display against Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday night. Media outlets in Italy, however, have been a bit more generous.
What’s interesting is that some have raved about him, while others have highlighted his errors.
11Contro11 gave Rice a 6.5/10 rating and wrote: “Order, quality and safety. The former West Ham player manages the tempo of the game with precision, also giving a valuable hand against Atalanta’s advances. As usual, he recovers a large number of balls in the middle of the field.”
Tutto Atalanta gave Rice a 6/10 rating and said: “Sometimes he makes some small mistakes but still offers a solid performance in midfield.”
Calciomercato were a bit more critical. They gave him a 5.5/10 rating and wrote: “In midfield, he is caught in the grip of the de Roon-Ederson duo, he suffers but resists, he misses free kicks.”
READ MORE: What Italy’s media are saying about Arsenal star William Saliba after watching him vs Atalanta
Declan Rice’s stats vs Atalanta
Rice played the full 90 minutes for Arsenal against Atalanta in their Champions League opener.
The Englishman had 56 touches of the ball and completed 43 of his 46 attempted passes, thus maintaining an impressive 93 per cent passing accuracy.
However, Rice lost possession seven times and was unsuccessful with each of his four long pass and cross attempts.
Defensively, the Arsenal number 41 was solid again. He made two tackles, a clearance and an interception, and he also won four out of his five attempts duels. He wasn’t dribbled past once in the whole game either which is very impressive. (Sofascore)
It was a decent display from Rice, but he will know that he is capable of producing a much better performance in the middle of the park.
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