Ryan Gravenberch admits Arsenal star is one of the toughest players he’s ever played against

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Ryan Gravenberch has admitted that an Arsenal player is one of the toughest he’s played against in his career so far.

The Gunners have assembled an outstanding squad over recent years, which arguably rivals Liverpool’s as the best in the Premier League.

Andrea Berta spent £250 million in the summer to deepen Mikel Arteta’s ensemble, while the Merseysiders splashed in excess of £400 million on a handful of superstars.

With Arsenal currently sitting at the summit of the English top flight, their approach of adding more depth pieces appears to be paying dividends.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Ryan Gravenberch says Declan Rice is one of the toughest players he’s played against

There is an ongoing debate about who the best midfielder in the Premier League is in football discourse, and there appear to be three primary contenders at the moment.

Rodri’s ACL injury has seemingly ended his supremacy as the definitive best, with Gravenberch, Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo now competing for the title.

Rice is enjoying a fine season for Arsenal, although Caicedo and Gravenberch are arguably carrying the respective midfields in which they operate.

Gravenberch praised Rice and his midfield partner, Martin Zubimendi, after the Gunners played Liverpool at Anfield in August, and the Dutchman has once again stated his admiration for the England international.

Asked by British GQ who the toughest player he’s ever played against is, Gravenberch named the Arsenal man and Caicedo.

“Then I have to go for midfielders,” he said.

“Yes, Rice. Yes, Caicedo is a really good player.”

Declan Rice vs Moises Caicedo statistical comparison

As good as Gravenberch is, the general consensus is that Rice and Caicedo are the two fighting to be crowned the most accomplished midfielder in English football.

Comparing the two players’ statistics is certainly useful for determining which player is better, although they somewhat reflect their roles in their respective teams.

On the surface, Rice provides a lot more value in the final third, contributing to eleven league goals last season compared to Caicedo’s three.

The Englishman generally comes out on top in the offensive stats, creating more than Caicedo, taking more shots and carrying the ball a lot more.

Arsenal’s midfield talisman plays in a more advanced role than his Ecuadorian counterpart, so this does make sense.

Caicedo makes significantly more defensive contributions, while his passing is more secure. Again, this is a reflection of the roles that they play in their midfields, which ultimately makes their data somewhat difficult to extrapolate from.