Uncovered: Declan Rice’s ‘unbelievable’ stats vs Everton revealed
Arsenal will be top of the Premier League table at Christmas after beating Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
Viktor Gyokeres‘ first-half penalty saw Arsenal beat Everton 1-0, with David Moyes‘ side unable to create more than one shot on target.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute, with Jake O’Brien penalised for handball when he bizarrely jumped up with both of his hands extended.
Everton wanted a penalty when William Saliba kicked Thierno Barry in the second half, but referee Sam Barrott waved away complaints.
Gyokeres has struggled for Arsenal this season, but the striker would have been glad to mark his first goal since returning from injury.
Declan Rice dominates vs Everton
Declan Rice was furious after Arsenal beat Wolves, engaging in a heated discussion with his teammates after standards had clearly slipped.
The Gunners had looked tired and lacklustre against the Premier League‘s bottom club, but they responded well against Everton.
| Everton | Match stats | Arsenal |
| 35% | Possession | 65% |
| 5 | Shots | 13 |
| 1 | On target | 2 |
| 0.20 | Expected goals (xG) | 2.00 |
| 0 | Big chances | 3 |
Mikel Arteta‘s side created plenty of chances, and despite the narrow score line, ultimately maintained control throughout the fixture.
No player, more than Rice himself, was crucial to that, with the midfielder delivering a stunning performance.
The England international completed more passes than any other player on the pitch, and he should have picked up an assist when Leandro Trossard hit the post in the second half.
Rice completed 10 passes into the final third, but it was his fantastic defensive contributions which really caught the eye.
Three tackles, four clearances, three interceptions and a huge 10 recoveries, the 26-year-old appeared almost omnipresent against Everton.
Capping off a dream statistical performance, Rice would win seven of his nine duels on a brilliant individual night.
Mikel Arteta’s comments on Rice say everything
Arteta was delighted with his team’s performance against Everton, and so he should have been.
Strong performances have been hard to come by in recent weeks for Arsenal, but with a key run of games approaching, the Spaniard would have been relieved to see normality restored.
On Rice’s performance, he said: “Unbelievable, his all-round play, his leadership on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained as well that allowed us to run; he has been incredibly consistent this year again, and what a massive player for us he is.”
Arsenal will have just a couple of days before they take on Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday, with key home clashes against Brighton and Aston Villa to follow in quick succession.