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Mikel Arteta can’t look back after Arsenal star’s ‘best performance of the season’ in draw with Liverpool

Posted on by Bobb
Mikel Arteta can’t look back after Arsenal star’s ‘best performance of the season’ in draw with Liverpool

Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Liverpool featured some of their best players.

It was a Premier League blockbuster at the Emirates as the Gunners took on Arne Slott’s in-form side.

Mikel Arteta would desperately like to win, with Arsenal conceded in the 81st minute and later Mohamed Salah equalized.

The loss of two leading positions could haunt the Gunners towards the end of the season, but there were still plenty of positives to take from matchday nine.

Arsenal's Declan Rice passes the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024...
Photo by Alex Bairstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Declan Rice praised for performance against Liverpool

With a number of key absences, Arsenal’s first team players had to step up, and most of the starting XI did.

Much praise will be given to Bukayo Saka, who scored his 50th Premier League goal, while summer’s Mikel Merino scored his first for the Red and Whites.

Apart from the goalscorers, two players had a significant impact on the game against Liverpool: Thomas Partey and Declan Rice got up.

Partey played at right-back, with Rice finally being fielded by Arteta in his favored sixth role, which journalist Charles Watts noted after the draw.

“Best performance of the season with distinction from Declan Rice. I think he’s been absolutely exceptional in that six role that a lot of people think he can’t play for some reason,” Watts said on the Inside Arsenal podcast.

“He was brilliant, he won so many tackles, he made some brilliant passes too, I loved Rice’s performance, I thought he and Partey were certainly outstanding players on the field.”

Rice sent Mikel Arteta a message about the Liverpool game

It’s been a strange season so far for Rice, which hasn’t been particularly bad but hasn’t been as exciting as last season.

Many attribute this to the former West Ham captain’s position, with Arteta preferring to play him on the left side of central midfield.

The Spaniard has now seen that the Englishman is much better suited for a deeper role in the engine room and there is no debate about where £105 million best human position.

Arsenal performed better with Rice in this area against Liverpool, and the presence of players in 2023 allowed Merino and Leandro Trossard to contribute even further.

Once Martin Odegaard returns from injury, Arteta will be able to find the perfect balance in midfield by keeping Rice deep and placing Merino alongside the captain – a trio that has a little bit of everything.

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