Ian Wright is over the moon following Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid.
The Gunners were absolutely exceptional in the Champions League against the Galacticos. They beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side 5-1 over two legs, and that has sent a big message to the rest of Europe.
Mikel Arteta can be delighted with almost every single player who played in those two games. Most of them played brilliantly and really stepped up when it mattered.
One player, in particular, was the star of the show, and Wright has lavished praise on him following the win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Ian Wright says many people disrespected Declan Rice before Arsenal vs Real Madrid
Declan Rice is closing in on two years at Arsenal.
The Gunners were desperate to sign him in the summer of 2023, but they faced competition from the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
But, Arsenal won the race and signed Rice for a club-record fee from West Ham United.
That has proved to be an incredible decision as the midfielder has been sensational under Arteta since he joined the club over 18 months ago.
Against Real Madrid, Rice scored a stunning brace in the first leg and was fantastic in the return fixture as well. He won the Player of the Match award in both games.
Wright is delighted with the 26-year-old and claimed that nobody can question him anymore.
He said on the Wrighty’s House podcast: “Nobody can ever question him! You see all these podcasters being disrespectful, but Declan Rice, over two games, absolutely wiped the floor with that team with his performance.
“It was a performance where you’re looking at a player and you’re thinking: ‘Yeah, we know he’s good and he’s getting better.’
“We saw the two goals last week that we haven’t seen before. We’ve seen on a weekly basis that he’s just improving and getting better in any position that he’s asked to play in, whether that’s crashing the box, whether it’s six, whether it’s eight.
“He was everywhere! As we sit here right now, he is in the top three midfielders in the world.”
Arsenal could change Declan Rice’s role vs PSG
Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League, and that will be a very tough game for the Gunners.
Arteta’s men have already beaten the French champions this season, so that should give them a lot of confidence, but the Gunners have suffered a big blow.
Thomas Partey is suspended for the first leg against PSG after he received a needless yellow card in the game at the Bernabeu.
With Jorginho currently injured, Arteta could be forced to move Rice back to a number six role to cover for Partey’s absence.
It will be interesting to see how Rice will fare there if he is given that role against PSG.
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