Has Declan Rice outshone Caicedo this season? What the English media are saying

Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have shown a sharp eye for talent, and if there’s one area they’ve consistently nailed, it’s midfield recruitment.

Martin Ødegaard is phenomenal on his day. Martin Zubimendi is quietly becoming a hit. And we’ve yet to fully describe how revolutionary Declan Rice has been, transformed from a defensive midfielder into a complete, all-action engine, making his £105 million transfer look like a bargain.

Rice vs Caicedo: the debate heats up

Speaking of Rice, a new debate has been doing the rounds: has Moisés Caicedo made a better start to the season than the Arsenal man?

While most of the discussion began on X, the mainstream media have now joined in, with the Evening Standard weighing in on who’s currently ahead. Each of their writers brought a different lens to the comparison.

Simon Collings leaned on the numbers:
“Caicedo has 28 tackles to Rice’s six. He also leads in blocks, interceptions and ground duels.

“But Rice edges it with 12 chances created to Caicedo’s one. He’s also carried the ball 1,400 metres compared to Caicedo’s 837.”

Dom Smith took a literary route:
“Rice’s quality on the ball is marginally better than Caicedo’s, but Paul Scholes was right, Rice can sometimes take too many touches. He’s adding goals and assists without neglecting his defensive duties, but he could still be slicker, swifter.”

Matt Verri applied logic:
“A good way to think about it is: who would thrive more if they swapped shirts and roles? You’d back Rice to do Caicedo’s off-the-ball work at Chelsea. But could Caicedo replicate Rice’s impact at Arsenal, especially in the final third? Maybe not. I think Rice has the edge.”

In truth, it’s hard to call. Perhaps the fairest conclusion is that both are elite midfielders in the form of their lives.