Arsenal struggled at times against Bayern Munich as they drew the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and several players were not at their best.
The Gunners have been outstanding this season, as they sit on top of the Premier League with the best attacking and defensive records, whilst they could still progress to the Champions League semi-finals.
Arsenal’s defensive players have been a huge part of this, with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Ben White and Declan Rice rightfully earning plaudits in recent months.
However, some of Arsenal’s key stars did not perform to the best of their ability against Bayern, and Rice in particular struggled to make his usual impact on the game.
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Declan Rice had quiet game in Arsenal draw vs Bayern Munich
Speaking to CBS Sports after the game, reporter Geoff Shreeves highlighted the England star as a player who did not make a huge impact on proceedings.
“Declan Rice had a quiet game tonight as well, in central midfield,” he stated when assessing Arsenal’s problems on the night.
The 25-year-old has arguably been Arsenal’s best player since his arrival from West Ham last summer, and it is clear that Bayern identified him as a key figure they needed to limit during the game.
How Bayern Munich nullified Declan Rice in Arsenal draw
Rice wasn’t poor, but was ineffectual for large spells of the game, particularly in the first half, as Bayern sought out to prevent the ball from being played into him.
He lined up as a number eight in midfield, with Jorginho at the base of the trio, and he was targeted to prevent Arsenal from progressing the ball well.
Konrad Laimer and Joshua Kimmich were outstanding in the middle, and won the midfield battle in the first half as Rice and Jorginho hardly saw the ball. Rice failed to win a single tackle, and made just 34 passes in 90 minutes.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was introduced in the second half, and he inverted from left-back to support the midfield, which did see the £240k-a-week star improve. The Ukrainian completed 35 passes in 45 minutes compared to Rice’s 34 in 90, highlighting how little the Englishman was able to receive the ball.
Rice was beaten easily in the build-up to Bayern’s penalty, and the visitors did well to limit his impact on the game, knowing that he is capable of driving Arsenal to victory in the middle.