Paul Merson claims 24-year-old made Arsenal a ‘different team’

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Pundit and Arsenal hero Paul Merson has moved to praise midfielder Declan Rice for his performance against Chelsea on Saturday.

Declan Rice made a big impact after Mikel Arteta altered his Arsenal midfield on Saturday evening.

Arsenal headed across to West London Saturday evening, taking on rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

This looked to be heading the wrong way for Arsenal as Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk put the Blues 2-0 up.

The Gunners staged a superb fightback though as Rice scored from a Robert Sanchez clanger before Leandro Trossard levelled it up.

Arsenal looked dead and buried but showed incredible fight to grab a point in the first game back from the international break.

Paul Merson hails Arsenal star Declan Rice

At 2-0 down, Arteta decided to change it up by taking off Jorginho and bringing on Emile Smith Rowe.

That meant Rice moved to the base of the Arsenal midfield – and Arsenal were able to shift the momentum from that point.

Pundit and former Arsenal ace Paul Merson has now taken to social media to heap praise on Rice for his performance after that substitution.

Merson suggested that Rice going into holding midfield instantly made Arsenal a ‘different team’ and believes that he pushes Arsenal forward from that role.

Maybe that is something that Mikel Arteta needs to utilise moving forward – but much will depend on his other midfield options…

Mikel Arteta still juggling midfield ranks

Arsenal’s midfield was so settled last season; Thomas Partey sitting with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard further forward.

Xhaka was sold in the summer though and Partey has suffered injury problems, meaning Arteta has been chopping and changing.

Kai Havertz hasn’t really worked as a midfielder and Smith Rowe hasn’t started a Premier League game in a long time.

Then there is Fabio Vieira, who started against Tottenham Hotspur last month but wasn’t even on the bench against Chelsea.

If Rice is going to play in that holding role, then Arteta will need to find an option he trusts further forward – and he just doesn’t seem to have it at the moment.