Declan Rice vs Rodri: Who’s the Better Defensive Midfielder? Stats Compared After Jamie Carragher’s Claim

The Premier League has seen some great encounters this season. Both Declan Rice and Rodri have played a crucial role for their respective sides. Rice’s addition to the Gunners has bolstered the squad, allowing them to fluently operate from the midfield into the attacking third. Rodri, on the other hand, is an essential cog in Pep Guardiola’s machine as Manchester City has lost all three Premier League games the player missed.

After a fine start, defending champions Manchester City have slipped up in the title race, slipping down to the fourth place on the points table. Arsenal, who finished second last season, is currently leading the charge following the invaluable addition of defensive midfielder Declan Rice. Ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher lauded the player, comparing him to Manchester City’s Rodri while naming his pick for the best defensive midfielder.

Declan Rice vs Rodri: Statistical Analysis

While both players have somewhat of a different role for their respective sides, they share the same position on the field. Both players slot in at the number six position and are the bridge between the defense and the midfielder. However, recent years have seen defensive midfielders move up the field and make their presence known in the attacking third.

Declan Rice: The former West Ham man has been a refreshing addition to the Gunners. Rice has played in all fifteen Premier League games for the side this season, posting some great numbers. The twenty-four-year-old has won 62.7% of his duels. Rice has made 46.8 key passes this season while creating three goals and one assist. The player also had made 681 successful dribbles in his 1436 minutes for the side in the Premier League.

Rodri: The Spaniard has always been Pep Guardiola’s go-to man in crucial encounters. Rodri, at the moment, seems like the glue that holds Manchester City together, with the team losing all the three games he missed. The treble-winner has made 12 outings for City this season, winning 45.6% of his duels. That’s the only place Rodri lacks behind Rice as he triumphs the Englishman with better numbers across all stats. Rodri has made 83.9 key passes this season while finding three goals and three assists. The Spaniard has attempted 770 successful dribbles in his 1121 minutes on the field.

Despite Rodri triumphing over Declan Rice on stats, prominent soccer pundit Jamie Carragher stated he’d prefer Rice over Rodri while picking his eleven from the Premier League.

Jamie Carragher picks Arsenal star over Rodri

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher talked about the influence Rice and Rodri offer to their respective teams in a statement. However, the pundit put Rice over Rodri, stating despite the Spaniard’s achievements, he’d still pick the Arsenal man.

READ MORE: Rodri’s Absence Cost Manchester City & Pep Guardiola Against Aston Villa, Claims Analyst

Carragher stated, “There is no bigger compliment I can give to Rice than this: I would rather have him in my team than Rodri. The Manchester City midfielder has been arguably the best player in the Treble-winning side, alongside Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva, and he scored the winner in the Champions League final. He is a brilliant player, but I would still rather have Rice.”

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