Arsenal legend Thierry Henry recently showered praise on Declan Rice for his instrumental role in Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Sevilla. The Gunners secured a hard-fought 2-1 win in Spain, and Henry highlighted the “weird” yet crucial role played by Rice during the match.
Arsenal secured the victory with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, but it was the performance of Declan Rice that caught Henry’s attention. He commended Rice not only for his defensive contributions but also for his crucial involvement in building Arsenal’s attacks and winning back possession high up the pitch.
Rice’s position on the pitch was a subject of intrigue. Henry pointed out that when Arsenal had possession and were looking to build from the back, they often tried to involve Rice in the build-up. This was in contrast to his traditional defensive role, and it presented a unique dynamic for the team’s structure.
Thierry Henry observed that Rice had a dual role during the match, dropping deep to participate in the build-up and pressing high up the pitch. This fluidity added an offensive balance to Arsenal’s formation. With players like Ben White and Bukayo Saka also factoring into the attack, Rice’s role became increasingly significant.
Saka played a pivotal role in maintaining the structure of the team, ensuring that the offensive balance remained intact. Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard joined the attack, but his movements were often contingent on positional switches. Off the ball, Rice played as a “10,” monitoring the opposition’s holding midfielder and preventing the two holding players from receiving the ball.
Thierry Henry delved into Arsenal’s pressing strategy in greater detail. He highlighted how Rice’s role involved marking the opposition’s players effectively. When an opponent like Sergio Ramos had the ball, Rice would apply pressure on the likes of Soumare, while Odegaard would also engage in pressing. The combined efforts of Jorginho and Rice ensured that the opposition struggled to play the ball inside and were often forced to play it back.
Jamie Carragher contributed to the discussion, emphasizing that Rice was not just a midfielder; he was the highest player in terms of pressing and the deepest in terms of building the play. Henry concurred, stating that Rice’s versatility and effectiveness both on and off the ball were the reasons Mikel Arteta had sought to acquire him.
In their match against Chelsea, Arsenal had seen improvements when Rice dropped deeper, but in the game against Sevilla, Arteta wanted him to press higher up the pitch when the opposition tried to play out from the back. Rather than assigning him a single role, Rice had a dual responsibility, and he executed it exceptionally well. He played a significant role in Arsenal’s domination of the game, with the team going two goals ahead before he transitioned to cutting out central passing lanes, a task he accomplished with great success.
