Declan Rice impresses for Arsenal in comeback draw vs Chelsea
|Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice delivered a good performance during the 2-2 comeback draw against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Gunners had a difficult outing at Stamford Bridge and they looked second best throughout the opening half. Cole Palmer opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot.
Shortly after the break, Mykhailo Mudryk’s attempted cross-cum-shot gave the Blues a 2-0 lead. The west Londoners looked good value to secure a victory until Arsenal’s late fightback.
A loose pass from Robert Sanchez allowed Rice to reduce the deficit with a sublime 25-yard strike into an empty net in the 77th minute. Few minutes later, the Gunners pulled level.
Bukayo Saka had a tough evening against Marc Cucurella, but he found an inch of space to deliver a quality cross into the path of Leandro Trossard, who was free at the far post.
The Gunners were lucky to secure a point from the derby but they showed character to respond.
Rice was one of the better performers for the club. Aside from his match-defining goal, he had 64 touches, completing 46 out of his 52 passes – an accuracy of 88 per cent.
He managed five successful long balls while winning five duels and three tackles. The 24-year-old has quickly become a fan favourite and he made another crucial contribution.
Rice has now scored against both Manchester United and Chelsea this term. He looked good from an advanced midfield role. Hopefully, we will see more of it in the coming games.
Stats from Sofascore.com