Arsenal have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign as they look to end a two-decade wait for a league title at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side have won five and drawn two of their opening seven matches, but still remain third in the table, level on points with Manchester City whilst sitting just a point off current leaders Liverpool.
Winger Bukayo Saka has been crucial in the Gunners’ start to the new season, registering seven assists – an average of one per game – allowing teammates such as Kai Havertz to make an impact in the final third.
However, the latest international break has come at the worst possible time for Arteta’s side, with the North London outfit seeming to gain momentum in their performances over recent weeks.
The aforementioned Saka has already featured for England during the break, but his Arsenal and international teammate had a performance to forget last night.
Declan Rice’s stats for England against Greece
After his start to the season in North London, midfielder Declan Rice has continued to be a key part of the England national team, starting in last night’s Nations League clash at Wembley.
However, he was unable to prevent Lee Carsley’s side from falling to a shock defeat, as their opponents scored their first-ever goal at the new Wembley stadium during the win.
The 25-year-old failed to impress during his 90-minute display, producing some underwhelming stats throughout the international clash in the capital.
Minutes played
90
Touches
76
Passes completed
63/65 (97%)
Duels won
3/7
Possession lost
4x
Fouls committed
2
Key passes
0
Rice may have completed 97% of the passes he attempted, but struggled out of possession, only winning three out of the seven duels he entered during the defeat.
The Arsenal ace also lost possession four times and committed two fouls, receiving a yellow card in an all-round disappointing night for the Gunners’ club-record signing.
However, he wasn’t the only Arsenal star to drop a disappointing display on internet duty with his teammate struggling to make an impact despite his nation’s victory.
The Arsenal star who dropped a 5/10 on international duty
Centre-back William Saliba has formed an excellent partnership with Gabriel at the back for Arteta’s side – helping the club push Manchester City for the title over the last two years.
Whilst at club level he’s thrived, internationally he’s struggled as of late, with the French star often being hounded for his lack of impact under Didier Deschamps. Even the manager, himself admitted back in March that Saliba “does things that I don’t like so much”.
He was previously handed a 5/10 match rating for his display against Luxembourg before Euro 2024, with the 23-year-old receiving another 5/10 rating from French outlet GETFootball last night.
When delving into his stats from the victory over Israel, his rating is understandable, with the centre-back caught out for the opponent’s goal whilst failing to provide any impressive defensive numbers.
He notched a total of 102 touches, with a 97% pass accuracy, but he failed to win any aerial battles whilst only winning 50% of his ground duels.
Saliba also lost possession four times during the victory and failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted – with the centre-back enduring an evening to forget.
Whilst it’s excellent to see Arsenal first-team members featuring for their nations, there is always a risk that a player could lose confidence or pick up an injury on international duty.
As seen last night, Saliba and Rice both failed to impress, with Arteta undoubtedly wanting his players to return to North London fit and ready for when the Gunners face Bournemouth a week on Saturday.
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