Micah Richards and Gary Lineker just ended one Declan Rice debate after Arsenal heroics vs Man City

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice stole the headlines in the Gunners’ thrashing of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta watched on in awe of his squad as Arsenal beat Man City 5-1 at the Emirates in a Premier League thriller.

The Gunners saw five different players score against the champions but it was Rice, who didn’t score, who earned the highest praise.

Rice was Arsenal’s best player against City and picked up the man of the match award for his efforts.

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Micah Richards and Gary Lineker in agreement over Declan Rice debate

With two assists, Rice shone against City from midfield, showing Arsenal exactly why they spent £105m to acquire him in 2023.

The England international was at his brilliant best against the champions, which sparked a debate between pundits Micah Richards and Gary Lineker.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the punditry duo were in total agreement about one thing that’s consistently speculated about Rice.

“Declan Rice today was sensational, oh my word,” Richards said before commenting on the midfielder’s role.

“Him in the number eight, his energy. The assist, the pass for Nwaneri. Everything about him was bang on. He’s a number eight, isn’t he? He’s not a six.”

Even Rice’s teammates at Arsenal have discussed his best position, as Arteta has crafted the former West Ham captain into one of Europe’s best number eights.

Lineker wholeheartedly agreed with Richards’ opinion, branding Rice as a central midfielder best positioned further forward.

“I agree, he’s an eight. He’s very very good at running with the ball and bursting through the lines as well.”

Mikel Arteta won’t appreciate talk about Rice’s best position 

While Rice’s performance against City earned high praise from pundits far and wide, Arteta won’t like what Richards and Lineker agreed on. 

That’s because the debate about the Englishman’s best role doesn’t suit what the Arsenal manager wants from his player. 

Arteta refused to tie Rice down to one position when asked to give his verdict on his record signing, instead demanding versatility.

For now, it’s clear that the Spaniard likes Rice in the number eight role and after his performance against City, there won’t be any complaints about such.