Arsenal are one of the two English sides – alongside Liverpool – to have secured passage into the next round of the Champions League after beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been knocked out at this stage and the Gunners are flying the flag high.
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Steven Gerrard, formerly of the Merseysiders, was in attendance to watch Mikel Arteta’s men oversee their win against the Bundesliga side and he was very complimentary of one player in particular.
Earlier this week, it was Eberechi Eze that took the game by the scruff of the neck for Arsenal: his strike in the 36th minute gave them some hope after a string of top saves from Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken.
‘One of the best in the world’ – Gerrard waxes lyrical about Arsenal star
But it wasn’t the ex-Crystal Palace man who caught the attention of Steven Gerrard; that was Declan Rice instead.
Amid competition, Arteta’s men won the £105 million race for Rice’s signature in the summer of 2023 and he moved across the capital to join from West Ham United.
At that point, Liverpool were (although they didn’t know at the time) embarking on their final hurrah with Jurgen Klopp in the dugout.
“He’s going from strength to strength. I think he’s one of the best in the world. I think he has become one of the best in the world. It was a fantastic move for him,” Gerrard said about his compatriot post-match.
Gerrard then insisted that he wishes that Liverpool were the ones who got their hands on the Englishman. “I wish we [Liverpool] signed him here, actually,” he said.
“West Ham did a great job under David Moyes, I think David Moyes has really schooled him in how to play the position tactically.
“His confidence from playing well for England and being around that group of players, he’s just gone to the next level now at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.
“Fantastic coaching from him and he’s up there now in the shout to be one of the world’s best in that position and in that role,” he concluded, per The Metro.
Rice was reportedly on Klopp’s radar during the 2023 midfield rebuild before the Reds picked up Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. The latter is no doubt a fantastic player – but Rice is a level above it must be said.
How important is Declan Rice to Arsenal?
Having opened talks to extend his contract in north London, it’s clear that Declan Rice – among Arteta’s most important players – is staying put. But just how important is the 27-year-old from London? Well… very!
It would be easy to look on the surface and suggest that Arsenal’s midfield would suffer with Rice not in the side; but the statistics back that up.
In the Premier League, he leads the squad for key passes per match (1.9), puts up the second-most tackles (1.9) and has played the third-most minutes of any player in the squad (2,585) – behind David Raya and Martin Zubimendi.
| Metric | Output | Squad rank |
| Minutes | 2585 | 3rd |
| Pass success rate (%) | 87.8 | 9th |
| Tackles per match | 1.9 | 2nd |
| Interceptions per match | 1 | 2nd= |
| Key passes per match | 1.9 | 1st= |
| Overall rating | 7.32 | 1st= |
Statistics aside, he is also very versatile. With Zubimendi now sitting deeper, the England international has been thrust into a more advanced role – often operating between both boxes – and a new side of his game has been unlocked.
