Arteta told only one Gunner truly stood tall in drab Chelsea stalemate

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·1 December 2025

Arteta told only one Gunner truly stood tall in drab Chelsea stalemate

In the build up to Chelsea versus Arsenal, online fans had framed the clash as a Moises Caicedo versus Declan Rice derby.

Both midfielders had enjoyed bright starts to the season, so attention was on who would make the greater impact.

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Caicedo ended up taking the headlines for the wrong reasons. His over aggressiveness led to a red card just 38 minutes into the match. That moment left Rice as the clear winner of their midfield comparison.

Arsenal were not at their fluent best, but Rice, who always seems eager to show his quality against Chelsea after being released as a youth player, produced a strong performance.

He imposed himself repeatedly, making three or four excellent tackles that deserve recognition. Rice does not simply win the ball, he takes it cleanly from opponents as if lifting it off their feet.

The one hundred and five million pound midfielder rarely has a poor game. This was another consistent display, one that earned him praise from the English media.

Media reaction

Goal stated, “Probably the one player who showed any consistent quality for Arsenal. Produced one exceptional tackle to deny Neto.”

NBC Sports highlighted his work rate, “Never stopped running, but will be disappointed Chalobah beat him at the near post for his goal.”

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

English press verdict

The Mirror provided a more balanced view, “Produced an excellent tackle on Pedro Neto in the box to deny a certain goal. The Arsenal engine room, as usual, but perhaps looking a little less dominant after two high energy games before this, and had to drop into the six role after Zubimendi was replaced, but remained a stable figure in the middle.”

Arsenal are fortunate to have Rice. He is arguably their most important player, a view shared by Allan Smith and Jamie Carragher who both consider him irreplaceable. Without him, Arsenal would find it far more difficult to compete.

What’s your take on Arsenal’s latest draw?

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