“He is a monster” – Declan Rice issues huge praise for unsung Manchester City star

Arsenal and England star Declan Rice has issued huge praise for Manchester City midfielder Rodri following Sunday’s clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City and Arsenal exchanged blows in a pulsating goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as both sides lost ground to Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

Successive draws to both Liverpool and Arsenal have hugely impacted Manchester City’s hopes of winning a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title, with the Sky Blues now third in the table and three points off Liverpool with nine games remaining.

City have failed to beat Arsenal on three occasions this campaign, and Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta could meet twice further this season, with the potential for both English teams to clash in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Manchester City suffered defeat in both the FA Community Shield clash and meeting at the Emirates Stadium in October, and have failed to score in both Premier League games, following the weekend’s stalemate.

Declan Rice has featured in all three games for the Gunners, with Manchester City having battled Arsenal for the signature of England midfielder last summer, in a major bidding war for the former West Ham captain.

The Gunners completed a £105 million move for the Englishman, exceeding the Blues’ £90 million offer to the Hammers.

Rice could have faced competition from Rodri at the Etihad Stadium, despite plans for Guardiola to play the 25-year-old in a more advanced position, after Ilkay Gundogan’s departure.

The Arsenal midfielder has praised the Spaniard following Sunday’s clash, hailing the Manchester City midfielder “a monster.”

“Do you love him? He is a monster,” admitted Rice.

“When you speak to the Man City lads at England, they say when Rodri doesn’t play they feel the difference themselves. Visibly, you can see that, too.”

Rodri is currently enjoying a mammoth unbeaten streak of over 60 matches, and hasn’t lost a Manchester City match since a 0-1 loss to Tottenham in February 2023.

The midfielder scored the winning goal in the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul last June, and has won 10 trophies with the Cityzens since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Atletico Madrid in 2019.