45/46 passes, 6/6 long balls, 3 chances created : 63-touch Arsenal star delivered his best performance in Europe this season
Arsenal registered a convincing 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last night.
The Gunners dominated proceedings in the opening half but could not break the deadlock.
Eberechi Eze hit the woodwork before Declan Rice failed to score from the rebound. Bukayo Saka was also denied by a fine save by Jan Oblak, who came off his line.
Arsenal had a second-half scare when Julian Alvarez’s shot rattled the post, but they went on to secure a comfortable victory after four goals in the space of 14 minutes.
Rice played a big part in two of those goals. The England international delivered a fabulous cross from a free-kick, which paved the way for Gabriel Magalhaes’ opener.
The midfielder’s corner from the right contributed to the Gunners’ fourth goal. Gabriel’s headed flick at the front post was converted by Gyokeres with a tap-in at the far post.
Gyokeres and Magalhaes were undoubtedly the standout performers, but Rice had a fantastic outing.
The 26-year-old had 63 touches in the game and completed 98 percent of his passes (45/46). He had a 100 percent long ball accuracy (6/6) and created three chances on the night.
It was almost a flawless performance from Rice.
Barring one moment against Alvarez, Rice had a comfortable evening and avoided a booking which would have seen him suspended for the away trip to Slavia Prague.
In our view, Rice produced his best performance in Europe this season. He was only a second-half substitute against Olympiacos, where he received a yellow card.
Rice controlled proceedings in the centre of the park against Athletic Club in the curtain-raiser, but he did not have a direct goal involvement at the San Mames Stadium.
Arsenal have another London derby against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. The Gunners have four days to prepare compared to the Eagles’ two.
Oliver Glasner’s side will be in Conference League action against AEK Larnaca tomorrow. Arsenal should fancy their chances of picking up another three points.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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