Arsenal star Declan Rice got the better of Mykhailo Mudryk whilst playing for England against Ukraine.
Declan Rice became the Gunners’ club-record signing this summer when Arsenal paid £105 million to prise him away from West Ham United. This fee surpassed the club’s previous record spend of £72 million for Nicolas Pepe.
However, had the course of past events run differently, Mykhailo Mudryk might have been the person to hold that record before Rice’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
In the last January transfer window, Arsenal pushed hard to sign Mudryk. Mikel Arteta was very keen on the Ukrainian winger, and the club made an offer that matched the £88 million bid tabled by Chelsea for the 22-year-old, as reported by The Athletic.
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Mudryk ultimately opted to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, and has since struggled to acclimatise to the demands of Premier League football. The Ukrainian’s struggles have reflected Chelsea’s own in recent times. Mudryk has made twenty appearances for the Blues in all competitions since his arrival, but is yet to score a goal and has failed to secure a place in the starting XI.
Rice, meanwhile, has hit the ground running in north London. The 24-year-old was in fine form for Arsenal last time out as he struck a late winner for the Gunners against Manchester United.
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Rice schools Mudryk on the international stage
Rice is also a key figure for England, and was playing in the heart of Gareth Southgate’s midfield as the Three Lions took on Ukraine last night.
The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with another Arsenal star, Oleksandr Zinchenko, striking for the hosts. However, Rice, and the England rearguard, had the better of Mudryk throughout the match.
This was typified by one particular moment when Mudryk was driving forward with the ball before the Arsenal midfielder swooped in to rob possession. Rice added insult to injury by skilfully and elegantly flicking the ball beyond Mudryk with his heel before gliding away with the ball at his feet.
The tackle was brilliantly executed and summed up Mudryk’s recent woes and Rice’s excellent form. The Arsenal midfielder oozed confidence and Arteta will be delighted that his attempt to spend big came off in the instance of signing Rice.