Journalist James Benge noticed something that one Arsenal star did to stop Kevin De Bruyne during the Gunners’ draw with Manchester City.
Arsenal produced a defensive masterclass at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening.
Whilst the Gunners were not firing on all cylinders in attack, they were able to keep the reigning champions at bay throughout the ninety minutes. The hosts were only able to record one shot on target during the match as Mikel Arteta’s side executed their safety-first game-plan to perfection.
Arsenal were able to end Manchester City’s 57-game streak of scoring at home. Avoiding defeat in this game was a priority for the north London club, and this goalless draw keeps them in the heat of the Premier League title race. They have now taken four points against both Manchester City and Liverpool this season, proving that Arsenal absolutely belong in the battle with those clubs for top spot.
How Arsenal stopped Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester City
Arsenal did an expert job of nullifying Manchester City’s key attacking players. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were dominant in their battle with Erling Haaland. Meanwhile, Declan Rice and Jorginho restricted space and shut down passing lanes in the middle of the park.
Rice was also handed the unenviable task of limiting Kevin De Bruyne’s ability to influence the game. As observed by James Benge, reporting on X, in the second half it became clear that “Rice has largely switched to man marking De Bruyne in City’s build up this half. It’s credit to the front four that the press hasn’t really suffered without him.”
The Belgian playmaker is arguably the best player in the Premier League, yet thanks to the attentions of Rice, he was not able to unpick the Arsenal lock on Sunday.
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Declan Rice executed Mikel Arteta’s plan against Man City
As per WhoScored statistics, the 32-year-old Manchester City man only completed 71.4% of his passes, and whilst he did play 4 key passes, the home side fashioned very few clear-cut opportunities. De Bruyne simply was not given the time and space he needed to orchestrate the Cityzen’s attacking play in his trademark manner.
Rice has been sensational for Arsenal this season, and he underlined his importance to Arteta’s team once again at the Etihad Stadium. He stepped up to the big occasion and did a job on one of the best players in the world.
Prior to this match, Rice was hailed as Arsenal’s potential “game-changer”, as he was described as being central to Arteta’s plan for overcoming Manchester City. The former West Ham United man lived up to his billing.