Arsenal star Declan Rice underlined his importance to England with his performance against Serbia at Euro 2024.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice played a key role for England as they beat Serbia 1-0 on Sunday.
Whilst the Three Lions were dominant in the first half, as Bukayo Saka impressed Arsenal fans with his attacking intent and provided an assist for Jude Bellingham’s winner, Rice became much busier after the break.
Serbia improved in the second half, whilst Gareth Southgate’s side lost some of their fluency in the final third. As the Three Lions came under increasing pressure, Rice was made to battle in the middle of the park.
The 25-year-old Arsenal star has enjoyed a more advanced, attack-minded role under Mikel Arteta at times, but he remains one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, and lived up to his reputation in Germany last night.
Arsenal star Declan Rice sets standard for England at Euro 2024
The 52-cap international was a rock for England in the middle of the park when they needed him to be in the second half against Serbia, and his contribution did not go unnoticed. After the final whistle, the national media were quick to praise Rice for his display.
The former West Ham United man has now set the standard for the tournament as a whole so far. According to Squawka, reporting on X, no other player in the competition has yet won possession of the ball ten times, as Rice did on Sunday.
It is now vital that the midfielder is able to remain fit and firing on all cylinders for the remainder of this competition. After all, there is an argument that Rice is the most important player in this England squad, as none else within Southgate’s ranks can really replicate what he does.
Arsenal fans were certainly pleased with what they saw from Rice against Serbia, and will be backing him to continue to shine at the Euros.
William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Leandro Trossard set to represent Arsenal at Euro 2024
There is further Arsenal interest at the Euros today. First up, Oleksandr Zincehnko’s Ukraine will face off against Romania, before Leandro Trossard could be involved for Belgium against Slovakia.
Finally, this evening, France will take on Austria. Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has urged William Saliba to prove his worth at international level, but it is doubtful that the Gunners’ centre-back will be included in the French starting XI.
Arsenal players and transfer targets at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode of Cannon Fire – The Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discuss the European Championships. With 11 Arsenal players set to feature at the tournament, the pair debated which players could be fighting for their futures, and which are destined to succeed on the international stage.