Mikel Arteta was a happy man after Arsenal beat Everton in the Premier League.
The Spaniard wanted a response from his side after an underwhelming display against Wolves in their previous fixture.
Arsenal weren’t at their absolute best by any means, but they were dominant for large parts, conceded no chances and could easily have scored three more goals.
Bukayo Saka was rightly named the Man of the Match, but another player was brilliant too – Declan Rice.
Arteta has raved about him now.
Give us your three-word review on Arsenal’s win over Everton
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal star Declan Rice was ‘unbelievable’ vs Everton
Rice started in midfield alongside his usual partners, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard.
The England international didn’t have his best game against Wolves last weekend, and he would’ve wanted to make a statement.
Rice definitely did that against Everton.
The former West Ham captain did well in attack, but the amount of work he did off the ball was nothing short of incredible.
David Moyes raved about Rice after the game, and Mikel Arteta has done the same.
Speaking about his performance in his press conference, the Arsenal manager said, as relayed on the club’s official website: “Unbelievable!
“His all-round play, his leadership on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained as well, that allowed us to run.
“He has been incredibly consistent this year again, and what a massive player for us he is.”
Stats show just how good Declan Rice was for Arsenal against Everton
Rice was absolutely everywhere during Arsenal’s win against Everton.
The midfielder was great with the ball at his feet, was constantly involved, and drove forward really well. However, off the ball, he showed why he is among the best in the world.
In his 90 minutes on the pitch, Rice had 116 touches of the ball and completed 87 of his 97 attempted passes, thus maintaining a stunning 90 per cent passing accuracy.
Describe Declan Rice’s performance for Arsenal against Everton using just three words
How good was Dec?
Off the ball, Rice made 10 defensive contributions.
He won seven of his 10 duels, made three tackles, four clearances and 10 ball recoveries, which is truly incredible. (Sofascore)
It is no surprise that both Arteta and Moyes were impressed by Rice. If he keeps playing at this level, Arsenal’s chances of winning major trophies will increase significantly this season.
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