Declan Rice’s red card may be a blessing in disguise – he needs a rest

Arsenal has not started the season as strongly as many thought they would. 7 points in three games is a decent result, but aside from the simple victory over Wolves on Match Day 1, something about this Arsenal team hasn’t clicked.

The tactics have been spot on; you could see the idea in them, but some Gunners simply failed to meet expectations. Apart from David Raya, Bukayo Saka, and possibly Kai Havertz, the other Arsenal players have yet to get their momentum.

Declan Rice is one such player who is not performing to his full potential. The Englishman hasn’t performed as well as he did last season. His summer exploits with the England Three Lions at the Euros likely left him with a hangover, necessitating a gradual introduction into the team this season to regain his match fitness.

The £105 million recruit and Thomas Partey struggled to keep Morgan Rodgers at bay against Villa, with the Englishman passing through them on several occasions. Four minutes into the second half against Brighton, he received a red card, his second yellow card of the game, which erased everything he had accomplished up to that point.

He will miss the North London Derby against Tottenham after the international break, which, while disappointing, will be extremely useful in the long run. Though he may be involved in international duty, once he returns from representing England, he will not feature in the Premier League Match Day 4.

Surely, that allows him to contemplate, recover, and recharge before being back in contention to face Manchester City. Rice and Saka, given their involvement in the Euros, should not have played important roles in the early stages of this current campaign. While we may be concerned about Rice’s absence, he receives the necessary rest to recover and be back to his usual level.

Jack Anderson