Football writer Adrian Clarke assesses Arsenal star Declan Rice and looks at whether he is now the best central midfielder in the world.
Player analysis: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
As Declan Rice continues to drive Arsenal’s push for a first Premier League title in 22 years, there is a strong argument to suggest he is among the world's best players in his position.
Ahead of a crunch encounter against champions Liverpool on Thursday night, the England international is in outstanding form for Mikel Arteta's side.
An indispensable player
Rice is able to influence matches from a defensive midfield base, as a box-to-box tour de force, or even - as we found out against Brighton & Hove Albion – from right-back. The 26-year-old can just about do it all.
It is this tremendous roundedness which sets Rice apart from many of the current generation’s leading lights in central midfield.
Rice is a brilliant ball-winner - none of his team-mates have regained possession for Arsenal more often - and he ranks second at the club for tackles, direct goal contributions, chances created and successful passes in the opposition half.
He has been Arsenal's main man this season, coming into his prime, in a squad crammed with key figures.
Is he the best all-round midfielder in the world?
Rice is currently the standout player for a side that is at the top of both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League tables, so his stock has never been higher.
But how do his stats match up with other elite midfielders?
Well, if you set parameters just beneath his own numbers across a range of different categories, it is difficult to find individuals who are as impactful across the board. In our poll, we're asking you to compare Rice with Nicolo Barella (Inter & Italy), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona & Netherlands), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal), Pedri (Barcelona & Spain), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid & Uruguay) and Vitinha (PSG & Portugal).
This table below shows how Rice fares for duel success, ball recoveries, passes, chance creation, shots and goal involvements.
And just two other midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, PSG star Vitinha and Everton’s James Garner, have similar data.
Rice, Vitinha and Garner stats comparison 2025/26
| 2025/26 | Rice | Vitinha | Garner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals & assists (min. five) | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Shots (min. 20) | 27 | 27 | 31 |
| Chances created (min. 20) | 32 | 21 | 24 |
| Succ. passes in opp. half (min. 400) | 576 | 982 | 460 |
| Poss won. (min. 80) | 96 | 82 | 91 |
| Duel succ. rate (min. 52%) | 54.47% | 57.10% | 62.65% |
Scroll across to see full table
This radar graphic below shows how well Rice compares to central midfielders in men’s leagues per 90 minutes across a multitude of areas.
When you also consider what a fantastic athlete he is, Arsenal’s record signing is clearly the complete midfielder.
Brilliant ball striking
Rice was not known for his quality inside the final third until he moved to Arsenal in the summer of 2023.
Now, the Gunners star is rightly regarded as one of the cleanest, most accurate strikers of the ball. He is given the freedom to push forward in a No 8 role, and handed new responsibilities at set-pieces,
His inswinging corners from the left wing and outswinging free-kicks from the other side have been phenomenal across the last two-and-a-half seasons.
Rice's wicked deliveries from corners led to key goals being scored against Manchester United, Leeds United (see below) and Burnley, to name just a few this season.
From a short corner at Newcastle United (see below), it was also Rice’s unplayable cross for Mikel Merino that helped his side grab a vital equaliser.
In fact, since joining the Gunners, Rice has racked up 10 assists from set-pieces, the second-most in the Premier League in that period. Only Man Utd midfielder Bruno Fernandes has produced more.
Most PL assists from set-pieces since August 2023
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes (MUN) | 11 |
| Declan Rice (ARS) | 10 |
| Dwight McNeil (EVE), Pedro Porro (TOT), Bukayo Saka (ARS), James Ward-Prowse (WHU) | 7 |
Rice’s Expected Assists (xA) from dead-ball situations are ranked top across the same period.
Highest xA from set-pieces in PL since August 2023
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
| Declan Rice (ARS) | 7.0 |
| James Ward-Prowse (WHU) | 6.7 |
| Bruno Fernandes (MUN) | 5.7 |
| Bukayo Saka (ARS) | 5.6 |
Scanning for goals
No matter what Rice goes on to achieve in his career, his stunning free-kick brace against Real Madrid in 2024/25 will always be remembered.
Last weekend, he scored twice in a Premier League match for the very first time, coolly slotting home a pair of clinical finishes against AFC Bournemouth.
On both occasions, his awareness of space and movement to ensure he stayed free caught the eye.
Holding back his run from deep before finding the right finish has become a trademark of sorts for Rice.
At Vitality Stadium, he delayed his support run until the last moment to stay in space and ensure he could hit Martin Odegaard’s lay-off first time (see below).
From a counter-attack at Burnley, where he began his run from inside Arsenal’s box, Rice also held back his burst, scanning left and right on numerous occasions before attacking Leandro Trossard's cross (see below).
Rice's intelligence and finishing inside the final third is improving all the time.
So when play is building up, Liverpool’s players must keep close tabs on Rice’s whereabouts on Thursday night.
If they fail to track him, the England international has the quality to punish them.
A fabulous combination
The arrival of Martin Zubimendi has accelerated Rice's development.
The Spaniard is an unsung hero in Arteta's starting XI; he covers a lot of ground, is positionally astute and moves the ball efficiently to those around him.
Out of possession, he dovetails nicely with Rice, sharing the defensive burden. On the ball, Zubimendi's nimble style of play frees up his fellow midfielder to power forward.
In Arsenal's 3-2 success at Bournemouth, the duo made a smart tactical adjustment in the second half which changed the pattern of the match.
They had pressed high early in the game, and despite winning the ball back several times, they were often bypassed, meaning Arsenal were stretched as a team.
Rice and Zubimendi dropped deeper as a more orthodox pair in the second period, offering fabulous protection in front of the back four.
This laid the platform for an improved second half.
The full package
Defensively, we know Rice is strong, mobile and decisive in his duels.
This map of defensive action areas (below) shows just how much value he has, popping up all over the pitch to win the ball back.
Rice's defensive action areas 25/26
Put simply, there is no one else around who offers this much defensive work, as well as the end product Rice delivers inside the final third.
This shot and shot-assists graphic below is the type you may expect to see from an attacking midfielder.
Throw in his leadership skills, and it’s clear Arsenal certainly have one of the world’s very best players at the heart of their midfield.
Rice missed their 4-1 win at home to Aston Villa through injury, so he is also sure to be fired up to make the difference against Liverpool in another high-profile encounter.
Liverpool’s midfield will need to be at their very best to stop Rice being the dominant figure once again.