Gerrard hails Rice as 'dominant' in Arsenal-Atletico draw
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday, with penalty goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez. Former England captain Steven Gerrard praised Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice for his exceptional performance at the Metropolitano stadium in Spain.
'I thought he was immense, especially in the first half,' Gerrard told TNT Sports. 'He was dominant, in and out of possession, played a slightly different role, slightly deeper. I think he was asked to drop in between the centre halves just to give them the extra man in the build-up because they were pressing with two centre forwards.'
The result leaves both teams level going into next week's return leg at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal's tactical adjustment with Rice dropping deeper helped them manage Atletico's pressing effectively during the first half.
With the tie finely balanced after the first leg, what tactical adjustments will Arteta make for the second leg, and can Rice continue his dominant form in front of the home crowd?