‘He was cautious’… Pundit noticed 25-year-old Arsenal player kept passing backwards last night

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Arsenal played a very strange game against Porto on Wednesday evening.

This was the Gunners’ first Champions League knockout game for half a decade, you would expect Mikel Arteta’s side to be champing at the bit and ready to make their mark on the world’s biggest club competition.

However, Arsenal were very timid against the Portuguese outfit on Wednesday, and there was an element of fear in this performance.

Speaking on Virgin Media Sport, Brian Kerr has been reviewing this game, and he noted that Declan Rice wasn’t at his best against Porto, claiming that he was inhibited by his early yellow card and played very cautious from that point onwards.

Declan Rice was cautious

Kerr spoke about the 25-year-old’s performance in this game.

“Tonight they lacked the quality on the ball. Rice was inhibited by the early yellow card, he was cautious, he wasn’t driving forwards from midfield, he kept playing behind,” Kerr said.

Overawed

This was one of Rice’s worst performances of the season, and we can’t help but wonder if he was a bit overawed by the occasion.

This was Rice’s first ever Champions League knockout game, he will have been dreaming of this moment for years, and he may have let that get to his head a bit.

It’s a cliché, but those Champions League nights under the lights can bring out a different side of any player, and on his first time playing in such a game, Rice looked a bit off the pace to say the least.

Luckily, there is a second-leg to come at the Emirates, and the disappointment of this first-leg defeat should be enough to spur Rice and co on to victory and progression into the quarter-finals.

One thing is for sure, Arsenal need to improve if they are to get through.