Liverpool star admits Arsenal duo were 'really difficult' to press

It raised eyebrows when Mikel Arteta opted for a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino against Liverpool.

Despite the criticism aimed at the Spaniard for that setup, praise continues to pour in for his decision to pair Zubimendi and Rice in a double pivot.

Rice and Zubimendi forming a strong partnership

Rice and Zubimendi are beginning to forge one hell of a midfield partnership.

Rice’s strengths have been fully unlocked alongside the Spaniard. He now anchors the base for key interceptions, carries the ball forward at opportune moments, and rotates with Zubimendi during build-up play to avoid being the sole receiver.

He is free to ping diagonals to the wingers, drifts between left and right channels, and expresses himself with far more fluidity.

Ryan Gravenberch, who experienced the intensity of that pivot first-hand on Sunday night, could not help but acknowledge its strength, even with Zubimendi not at his absolute best.

“Yes, in the first half, it was really difficult to press them,” admitted Gravenberch on Liverpool’s official podcast.

“They always had a solution, and Rice dropped into midfield to join Zubimendi, so it was really difficult.”

He went on to reveal that Liverpool had to adjust tactically to contain them:

“In the second half, we changed the way that we pressed, and it was really, really better.”

The pairing clearly gave the Reds a difficult test. With Rice and Zubimendi continuing to gel, Arteta now has a clear and simple tactical switch at his disposal.