Arsenal challenge revolves around world-beater Rice

Everton boss David Moyes called the Arsenal powerhouse probably the best midfielder in the world.

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025 - 07:06

Simon Mullock

Premier League: Everton 0 Arsenal 1

It’s too simplistic to suggest that Arsenal are a one-man team. But what is clear is that Declan Rice now has the same influence on the Gunners that Ballon d’Or winner Rodri had when Manchester City were the Premier League’s dominant force.

Everton manager David Moyes knows the England midfielder well from their time working together at West Ham United, and he was in no doubt about how accomplished Rice has become, when asked about the performance of Tim Iroegbunam after Mikel Arteta’s side had delivered a statement win, if not performance, at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

“He was up against probably the best midfield player in the world,” said the Scot. Moyes resisted the temptation to deliver a reminder that the only major trophy Rice has won is still the Europa Conference League title he lifted as captain of his Hammers team before he was relieved of his duties at the London Stadium and the 26-year-old duly decamped to the Emirates for £105m.

He was also modest enough to give the credit for the player’s development to Arteta, the Spaniard who once played under him at Goodison Park before being lured to Arsenal. “Declan developed himself,” added Moyes. “It is not down to me. Mikel has made him into a top player. He is a great boy and that will give him a great chance.”

Rodri might have something to say about Moyes’s suggestion that he’s been eclipsed by a player who has finished second in each of his two seasons at the Emirates. He might also point out that Rice hardly laid a glove on him before the Spaniard was substituted through injury at half time in the final of Euro 2024.

Pep Guardiola has paid the price this season for playing Rodri at last summer’s Club World Cup after City surrendered the title for the first time in five years last season after losing the midfielder for most of the campaign with a cruciate ligament injury sustained against Arsenal 15 months ago.

The player has seen just a single minute of action since damaging his hamstring in early October and City are hoping that when he returns in the coming weeks it will inspire another new year surge that will leave Arsenal with second prize for a fourth successive season.

Arsenal needed to respond on the banks of the Mersey after losing leadership of the Premier League for the first time in two months following City’s third-gear stroll over West Ham at the Etihad.

Despite a performance that reeked of worrying nervousness they got themselves over the line thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’ first-half penalty, given for Jake O’Brien’s inexplicable decision to knock Rice’s in-swinging corner away with two hands just moments after he had got away with nudging over Arsenal’s Swedish striker when he seemed certain to score.

Gyokeres has still only scored five league goals since his £64m arrival from Sporting Lisbon. Erling Haaland has 17.

But while the Gunners should have scored more — Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi both hit the same post in the second half — the one thing they can boast is the best defence in the country.

Arteta was once again without the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, but it mattered little. One-nil to the Arsenal might once again become a mantra for the fans.

Rice was the most effective performer on the pitch by a distance. With Zubimendi once again showing why Spain have been able to cope with the loss of Rodri much better than Guardiola, the Londoner has become a force of nature in all areas of the pitch. He is making the role of the box-to-box midfielder sexy again.

For Everton, it was always nothing more than a damage-limitation exercise. The Toffees were game enough when it came to defending their own box, but with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall injured and both Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye away on AFCON duty, their ambitions going forward were limited in the extreme.

Moyes gave minutes to Thierno Barry and Beto, replacing one striker with the other in the second half. But neither player has the technical quality or raw movement and pace to test even the most limited Premier League defender. William Saliba and Piero Hincapie could have played in their club suits without bothering any North London dry-cleaning company.

It begs the question why the Merseysiders spent upwards of £42m on Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling rather than invest the money in a centre-forward.

It didn’t go unnoticed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice for Leeds and has rediscovered his form since moving to Elland Rd.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said all the right things afterwards. But even he probably didn’t believe some of them.

“We’re playing good football,” said Pickford. “We’re not far off, it’s very fine margins. We didn’t put them under enough pressure, but we are still very resilient. We’ve got to keep on creating those chances and start putting the ball in the back of the net.”

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 6; O’Brien 5, Tarkowski 7, Keane 7, Mykolenko 7; Garner 6, Iroegbunam 6; McNeil 6 (Dibling 75, 5), Alcaraz 5 (Rohl 76, 5), Grealish 5, Barry 5 (Beto 66, 5).

ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya 6; Timber 7, Saliba 7, Hincapie 6, Calafiori 7; Odegaard 6 (Meroino 87), Zubimendi 7, Rice 8; Saka 6, Gyokeres 6 (Jesus 65, 5) , Trossard 6 (Martinelli 80, 5).

Referee: Samuel Barrott.