Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice starred in England’s Nations League victory over Ireland on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old returned to the Aviva Stadium as an England player for the first time after making the decision to represent the Three Lions over Ireland.
Rice played three senior games for the Irish national team before pledging allegiance to England at international level.
The Arsenal star certainly left the home supporters in Dublin enraged, as he scored and assisted in the first half of England’s 2-0 victory.
- READ MORE: Why Declan Rice switched Ireland for England in international football before Arsenal transfer
Declan Rice shone for England against Ireland
After a terrible afternoon last weekend in the Premier League against Brighton, Rice redeemed himself with a sensational showing against Ireland.
The Englishman starred in central midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Jack Grealish, scoring himself before setting up the Manchester City ace shortly after.
- READ MORE: Arsenal’s Declan Rice reveals the real reason that he didn’t celebrate for England against Ireland
It wasn’t only Rice’s contribution to the goals that made him stand out, but his overall display on the pitch that oozed the quality expected from a £105m player.
Arsenal are aware of the talent they acquired from West Ham in Rice however, it’s been a somewhat questionable start for the Englishman in red and white this season.
Mikel Arteta must be inspired to change Rice’s role at Arsenal
There has been plenty to say about Rice’s start to the Premier League campaign, with most of the talk coming as a result of his controversial red card against Brighton.
Aside from the drama that unfolded at the Emirates on match day three, the midfielder’s absence in the middle of the park has been spoken about.
The left side of Mikel Arteta’s XI has been a clear weak point in the opening three games, with Gabriel Martinelli and Rice failing to link up and perform at their best.
Arteta may not have to worry about such concern for much longer, so long as the Spaniard takes inspiration from Lee Carsley.
The England interim boss started Rice on the right side of the middle three where he thrived and occasionally broke the lines with his intricate play and distribution.
Such styles of play have not been evident so far at Arsenal this season, which is a clear indication that Arteta must move the Englishman onto the right and captain Martin Odegaard to the left.
In the 90 minutes that Rice played against Ireland on the right side, the midfielder contributed to two goals, recorded 106 touches and completed 88 passes, via Sofascore.
What should be noted by Arteta is the difference between the midfielder’s input on the right side and the left side, where he last played 90 minutes against Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Rice’s impact on the left in the fixture provided contrasting numbers to the ones he produced for England, recording 44 touches and completing only 28 passes as he struggled to take a hold of the game.
To get the best out of Rice, Arteta must be tempted to make a slight tweak in midfield to better accommodate the 25-year-old’s style, with the results being something to behold, if his display against Ireland is anything to go by.
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