Declan Rice delivered another big-game moment for Arsenal on Wednesday night, scoring a superb late equaliser in a 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
The England midfielder struck in the 82nd minute after combining with Viktor Gyökeres, rescuing a point for Mikel Arteta’s side after Harry Kane had put Bayern ahead from the penalty spot.
Rice’s performance also reignited the debate around his quality, with Steven Gerrard offering a strong defence of the Arsenal star.
Gerrard dismisses criticism of Arsenal star Declan Rice
Speaking on TNT Sports after the match, Martin Keown asked Gerrard about criticism aimed at Rice by Graeme Souness, who has previously argued that the 27-year-old is better suited to playing in defence than midfield.
Gerrard was not interested in extending the debate and instead gave Rice a clear endorsement.
He said: “Oh, forget about that, Martin. You’re thinking about things that are going on in your life.
“Declan Rice is a world-class midfielder and that was a top, top goal. But you don’t have to prove that because of all the other stuff that’s going on on all your other shows.”
Rice’s goal came after Arsenal had fallen 2-1 behind, with Eberechi Eze opening the scoring before Alphonso Davies levelled and Kane converted a second-half penalty.
Sky Sports highlighted that Arsenal finished with more possession and more shots than Bayern at the Allianz Arena, underlining the strength of their performance.
A brilliantly worked team-goal finished off by Declan Rice, and Arsenal are level
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Rice keeps answering the biggest questions
The argument around Rice often feels outdated now.
He is no longer simply a defensive midfielder whose value is measured by tackles and interceptions. At Arsenal, he has developed into a player who can carry possession, arrive in the box, dictate tempo and still protect the defence.
His equaliser against Bayern was a perfect example. Rice drove forward at pace, exchanged passes with Gyökeres and finished clinically into the far corner.
That is the kind of action elite midfielders produce in major games.
Souness is entitled to question aspects of Rice’s game, but Gerrard’s assessment feels far closer to reality. Arsenal did not spend heavily on Rice just to gain a ball-winner.
They bought a midfielder capable of influencing matches in several different ways.
And increasingly, that is exactly what he is doing.
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