Analysis: Rice's Newcastle masterclass proves he is the complete midfielder

Oliver Hopkins of Opta Analyst breaks down the data behind Declan Rice’s outstanding performance in Arsenal's 2-1 comeback win over Newcastle United, and assesses his growing case to be the league’s best midfielder.

It’s not always sensible to judge a player’s ability on a single 90-minute performance. Yet Declan Rice's display for Arsenal against Newcastle United on Sunday was such a perfect encapsulation of his game that it is impossible to ignore.

Over the course of the match, Rice led all players for overall touches (105), completed passes (75), passes into the final third (35), line-breaking passes (17), crosses (10) and carries (29). He also ranked joint-first for chances created (three), possession wins (five) and tackles (three), while he covered more distance than any Arsenal team-mate during the victory (11.3km).

The map of Rice's touches in open play (below) shows a player who was everywhere, covering nearly every blade of grass between the two boxes.

On a day when Arsenal turned a late deficit into a seismic win at St James’ Park – clawing back three crucial points in the title race after Liverpool slipped up against Crystal Palace – Rice was at the heart of it all.

In a world where people are so often put in boxes, defined by one narrow skill or label rather than recognised for broader contributions, the value of the all-rounder can get overlooked.

For some time now, Rice has been a very good all-rounder. But it feels like over the last 12 months or so, he’s elevated his game beyond that moniker, turning into the complete midfielder who excels in every facet of the game.

Physically, he’s extraordinary. He covers ground like few others in the Premier League are able to.

Rice made more ball recoveries than any Arsenal player last season (156), and is once again leading the way this season.

As we’ll get on to, he is excelling further up the pitch, but that still does not stop him shielding Arsenal’s defence with intelligence and physicality, constantly extinguishing danger before it develops into anything serious.

Two moments against Newcastle captured this blend of athleticism and awareness.

The first came from a Newcastle counter-attack after Arsenal had committed men forward and lost the ball high. Eddie Howe’s side broke forward and Bruno Guimaraes released Jacob Murphy, who burst clear of Arsenal’s defence.

Rice, who started even higher than Arsenal’s back four, found himself as his team’s last line of defence and had a huge gap to make up and yet he somehow recovered to block Murphy’s shot.

Watch Rice race back to thwart Murphy

Later, deep into stoppage time and with Arsenal clinging to their lead, a long ball dropped in behind Jurrien Timber. Harvey Barnes, one of the quickest players in the league and fresh, only recently having come onto the pitch, looked certain to reach it.

Yet Rice matched him stride for stride, then used his strength to ease Barnes off the ball. To do that after playing 98 minutes of high-intensity football was highly impressive.

But Rice has always excelled at the defensive side of the game. The reason he has become a genuinely world-class midfielder is the value he’s added on the ball at Arsenal.

The Englishman is an expert in driving Arsenal up the pitch through his ability to carry the ball forward. In a metric usually dominated by centre-backs, who operate with more space to move into, Rice leads the team in total carries (97), overall carry distance (1,072m) and carries into the attacking third (12).

Against Newcastle alone, he carried the ball 260 metres, more than any other player, adding an urgency to Arsenal’s possession whenever he was on the ball.

Not only can he carry Arsenal upfield with the ball at his feet, but he can progress play with his passing, too. Able to slice open lines of opposition pressure, Rice’s technical quality is something that has gone through the roof since joining Arsenal.

He’s already made 52 line-breaking passes this season – the third most of any Premier League midfielder – and his 17 against Newcastle were the most of any player on the pitch, as he was constantly able to bypass the opposition's robust midfield with angled passes into Eberechi Eze, or out wide to Timber.

Four of those passes broke through two defensive lines, equalling the most recorded by any player in a single game this season.

Of course, his technical ability extends to dead balls, too.

Rice's two direct free-kick goals against Real Madrid last season in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final were the clearest, purest examples of his threat, but his set-piece delivery has become one of Arsenal’s biggest weapons.

Watch Rice's first free-kick v Real Madrid in 2024/25

Since joining in summer 2023, no player has assisted more goals from set-pieces in the Premier League (10). Over that time, Arsenal have scored 46 Premier League goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties), nine more than the next most (Everton – 35).

At St James’ Park, his pinpoint cross was headed in by Mikel Merino for Arsenal’s equaliser – and it was Rice’s own off-the-ball run down the left that had forced the corner in the first place.

Watch Rice in action against Newcastle

Of course it was another corner, this time from Martin Odegaard, that led to Gabriel Magalhaes‘ stoppage-time winner. That was the Gunners’ second-latest away winner in the Premier League (95:45) on record (since 2003/04). Their only later away winning goal was a strike at Luton in December 2023 (96:23), scored by Rice - a man who embodies the belief that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal now possess.

There will always be debates as to who the best player in the world is in every position. Sure, there are midfielders who can do elements of the game better than Rice. But as far as a complete package goes, there are very, very few who can match him.

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