Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice started for England as they took on Slovakia in their first knockout round clash of Euro 2024.
England got off to a poor start in Gelsenkirchen, as Gareth Southgate’s side were sloppy on the ball, slow in their build up, and lacked incision in the final third.
This pattern continued throughout the first half, even after Slovakia went ahead with just 25 minutes on the clock.
Declan Rice made the occasional run, and crunched into tackles on one or two occasions, but could not make a tangible impact. Like each of his teammates, the Arsenal man looked short of his best.
This trend has been a constant throughout England’s Euro 2024 campaign. The English media have been critical of Rice’s performances in this tournament, but in truth it has all been underwhelming across the board from the national team.
The pace of England’s game improved gradually after the break, with Rice clearly striving to force the issue. He was almost the hero as his strike from range crashed off the post as the game approached the final stretch of normal time.
After Jude Bellingham’s dramatic last-gasp equaliser, and the Harry Kane header that put the country ahead early on in extra time, Rice played a key role in seeing out the hard-fought victory.
Arsenal fans give verdict on performance produced by Declan Rice for England v Slovakia
During the match and after the final whistle, many Arsenal fans took to X to share their thoughts on Rice’s display.
One supporter said: “Rice for man of the match He has been doing a great job.”
Another agreed, adding: “Rice won’t but should get MOTM if England win.”
One fan stated: “Vintage Declan Rice performance today. Insane work rate, so many interceptions and successful dribbles. Commanding.”
Another asserted: “Declan Rice is who he thinks he is!”
Rice proves his defensive virtues
Much has been made of Rice’s best midfield role. Under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, he has shown that he can shine as a left-eight and make a real impact in the final third. Arteta has encouraged Rice to take up this more advanced role, and that decision has been rewarded by an extended spell of fine form from Rice for the North London club.
However, against Slovakia yesterday, he showed that he can still effectively screen the back four and break up opposition attacks.