Thierry Henry claimed Declan Rice performed well in the game, despite Arsenal’s loss to Porto Wednesday night. Porto scored late to defeat Arsenal 1-0. It is difficult for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to accept since they committed mistakes in the end. Arsenal dominated possession for the whole of the game, but struggled to score against Porto’s formidable defense. Arsenal did not even have a single shot on goal, whereas Porto had more opportunities to score.
Thierry Henry praises Declan Rice
Thierry Henry was impressed with Arsenal’s midfielder Declan Rice during the game in Portugal. He praised how important Rice is for the team, especially his defensive skills. Even though Rice got a yellow card just a minute into the game, Henry thought he did his job well. It must have been frustrating for Rice, as it meant he had to be extra careful in a game with a lot of pressure. Despite Arsenal’s mistake leading to Porto’s goal in stoppage time, Henry wanted to point out Rice’s excellent performance.
Rice did almost everything right at the Estadio do Dragao. He controlled the game from the middle effortlessly, successfully passing the ball 86% of the time. He also made a crucial block to stop the Portuguese team’s attack just after the hour mark. After seeing the impressive performance from the 25-year-old, Thierry Henry couldn’t help but praise him a lot.
“Him stopping what people don’t notice at times. What I like is he took a yellow after two minutes and he stayed in the game,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“You will see, you can see him here. He blocks the shot. But at the beginning he is looking at what is happening here [on the edge of the box]. He did it so many times in the game. With a yellow. That’s not an easy one, this is why he’s so important for the team,” he added.
🗣️Thierry Henry on Declan Rice's performance in the #Arsenal vs Porto game: “Him stopping what people don’t notice at times. I know this one you will, but what I like is he took a yellow after what, two minutes or one minute? And he stayed in the game.
“If you can see him here… pic.twitter.com/faI4QXlUeF
— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) February 22, 2024
Mikel Arteta’s team will play Porto again on March 12 in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 match. They have to win by two goals to go directly to the next round.
