GARY NEVILLE sensationally claimed that Moises Caicedo was better than Declan Rice.
The former West Ham star has been immense since his £105million switch to Arsenal in 2023.
Caicedo, 23, took time to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge following his own £115m transfer in 2023.
Since settling into life in West London, the Ecuadorian has quietly become a vital cog in the Chelsea machine.
Premier League legend Neville has been left impressed by the midfielder’s performances, and he believes he is the best in the Premier League right now.
The retired defender made the claim following Caicedo’s starring performance in the win over Liverpool.
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He said: “Forget the goal, which was absolutely incredible, his work around the pitch means he’s two in one.
“He’s everything and a brilliant midfielder player.
“He was the best player on the pitch by a mile and if Liverpool had him they would have won, he was that good.
“Right now I think we can say he’s the best midfielder in the Premier League.”
The issue in comparing the two midfielders directly, however, is that they have slightly different profiles and different roles in their respective teams.
It is arguably easier or more natural to compare the likes of fullbacks or strikers because their roles within their teams can be closer or more similar.
While Caicedo is more of a natural six in that he is at his most comfortable sitting at the base of the midfield, it is fair to say that Rice is more of an eight who is at his best when making forward runs and playing in a more box-to-box role.
SunSport breaks down the role of the midfielder into three areas: ball winning, passing and ball progression, and impact in the final third, and considers the impact that these two players have in each of these areas.
Ball winning
When it comes to breaking up opposition attacks and winning the ball back there used to be a perception that this was the strongest part of Rice’s game.
When he was still with West Ham many thought that he was at his best as a six playing as the deeper player in the midfield.
Since making the move to Arsenal though, Rice has been utilised as a more traditional box-to-box midfielder who provides in the attack and in defence.
However, Moises Caicedo came into English football when he first joined Brighton.
He had a reputation as a ball winner and as a traditional six.
After his impressive displays on the South Coast, the Blues opted to stump up the mega cash to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
After his early struggles, he is now drawing comparisons to club legend N’Golo Kante.
Whether he is asked to play on his own as a single pivot at the base of the midfield or as one of two midfielders in a double pivot in front of the defensive line it is fair to say that Caicedo provides significant value.
He seems to be able to cover the entire pitch against the ball and is comfortable whether he is asked to defend in space, when he is pulled wide to cover for his teammate, or in central areas where he is more likely to be working and picking up second balls.
At Arsenal, the role for Rice is slightly different in that he typically plays from a higher line and higher position than Caicedo at Chelsea.
Against the ball, we still see Rice working across the width of the pitch and looking to control the centre but he is freer in terms of his positioning and will typically press and look to engage the ball higher than Caicedo would at Chelsea.
Rice can still impact the game and regain possession for his team but not from a position right in front of the defensive line.
In purely defensive terms as a midfielder it is fair to say that Caicedo has the edge over Rice. His ability to protect the defensive line is of a higher standard.
Passing and ball progression
The next aspect of the game that is important for midfielders in the modern game, and especially at the top level, is in terms of passing and ball progression.
This is an interesting area to compare Caicedo and Rice but once again their roles and the way that they help their teams to move the ball forward and through the thirds are very different.
To an extent this is due to the differences in the areas of the pitch that they will typically occupy.
Caicedo is typically more defensive in his outlook and his ability on the ball and his ball progression tends to be more impactful in deeper areas.
This is seen as the Blues look to build the attack from the back or in areas where he will give an angle to a teammate to receive the ball backwards to change the angle of the attack.
Rice, on the other hand, is more responsible for ball progression either through passing or driving forward and running with the ball.
Caicedo is typically safer and more secure in possession.
He is very press-resistant with the ability to take the ball under pressure and to combine the game through the thirds.
He is the type of midfielder who will take the ball and move the ball intelligently, finding the free man and finding players in space.
Crucially, he is not the type of midfielder who will look to overplay and will instead make the right decision consistently.
Rice is different in his profile; he is freer in his role for Arsenal than Caicedo is at Chelsea.
He is more of what we would term an ‘all-action’ midfield player who will make regular runs through the middle third and into the final third to support the attack on the highest line.
While he does, of course, have the ability to connect through the thirds with passes.
Rice also provides value in terms of progression by taking up positions in space higher up the pitch and receiving these progressive passes to help his team to move forward.
The way that the two players act in the way that they pass and progress the ball through the thirds is very different and this is the area in which it is most difficult to compare the two players.
Caicedo will play and progress the ball from deeper areas while Rice is more effective progressing the ball through the final third and higher up the pitch.
Impact in the final third
The final area of the game in which midfielders have to have an impact is in and around the final third.
Can they provide either a direct goal threat themselves or can they provide an impact by creating chances for others around them?
This is another area in which midfield players can vary depending on their profiles.
As a more natural six who plays deeper it is harder for Caicedo to have a real impact in the final third while Rice, with his freedom to run, can have a greater impact.
Caicedo is coming off the back of scoring a screamer against Liverpool with a strike from range and into the top corner.
This is not a clear strength of his game though, and he provides more impact in the final third with his ability to pass the ball and move the ball into the final third.
Rice, on the other hand, provides a consistent threat with his runs to support and ability to break into the opposition area and find a way to finish chances.
Caicedo will typically be positioned in deeper areas as the ball is being progressed forward and he will typically be positioned behind the ball to provide support to help maintain the attack.
On the other side of the coin, Rice has the capacity to get forward and take up positions high up the pitch.
He can crash the box with off-the-ball runs to break into the opposition area and he provides a threat with his ability to get on the end of crosses and passes into the area.
He can also, however, provide threat from outside the area with his power and ability to strike at goal.
In the final third the edge really has to go to Rice as he does provide a more consistent and significant goal threat.
Conclusion
So, after all of that, can we answer the question as to which midfielder is better?
Caicedo or Rice? Well, no, not really.
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The truth between the two players is that they actually complement one another in terms of roles in the midfield.
Together they would be the perfect midfield two because their strengths are clearly in different areas.
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