Arsenal vs Chelsea: Declan Rice outshining Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield battle

For so long it was assumed that Declan Rice would end up back at Chelsea, and he can now show them what they let slip through their fingers.

Arsenal host Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on what could be a pivotal night in the title race.

Rice has been at the heart of Arsenal’s title charge, and it will be no different when the Gunners look to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The £105million man has transformed Mikel Arteta’s side since his move from West Ham last summer, adding the athleticism and strength their midfield was missing.

His impact has been in stark contrast to the struggles of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo at Chelsea, and they will have their work cut out in the midfield battle.

Caicedo and Fernandez moved to Chelsea for more than £100m each, but they are yet to justify their transfer fees.

Fernandez, in particular, has struggled to adapt and is still yet to speak fluent English.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is understanding of that, appreciating the strain that moving abroad can put on a player and his family, and he is convinced his fellow Argentine will eventually come good.

“Even if he is a world champion, he needs to adapt to the Premier League and to this club,” said Pochettino.

“Declan Rice was playing for West Ham for I don’t know how many years, with the experience and as an English guy knowing the Premier League and knowing the language.

“For Enzo, after the World Cup to arrive here and be in a team that was inconsistent, that found it difficult to get positive results, always it was going to be really, really difficult.

“The positive is he won the World Cup and moved to Chelsea, but other aspects have made it difficult for him to adapt.

“For us, there is no doubt this season was the season to know what it means to play in the Premier League, how tough it is and to know the culture, the environment, the language and to adapt better for the future.”

Fernandez’s struggles since his January 2023 move are understandable, but it is harder to comprehend why Caicedo has found it difficult, given how he excelled at Brighton. Arsenal were keen on signing Caicedo last summer, but the 22-year-old looks a shadow of the player who also attracted interest from Liverpool.

It is, perhaps, why Chelsea might rue their decision not to move for Rice when Frank Lampard was in charge. Lampard made Rice his No1 midfield target, but there was caution at Chelsea that the reasons they released him at the age of 14 might stop him from becoming a top midfielder.

The biggest concern was that it was a lot of money for a player not known for his ability to play in tight spaces.

Under co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea never considered signing boyhood Blues fan Rice due to his wage demands.

Chelsea instead put their faith in first Fernandez and then Caicedo, with the young pair needing time to turn their difficult starts around.

There are question marks over their lack of height, however, and that is an area Arsenal may look to target tonight. By bringing Jorginho into the team, Arteta would be able to push Rice forward into an advanced role where his athleticism could expose Caicedo and Fernandez.

Arsenal are favourites against Chelsea and a win would stretch the gap between the two sides to 30 points.

But the Blues have shown their ability to deliver in big games this season and Arsenal must be wary.

Chelsea took points off Manchester City home and away, held Liverpool to a draw at Stamford Bridge and narrowly lost to them in extra-time of the Carabao Cup Final.

Arteta, who views Pochettino as a father figure after playing with him at Paris Saint-Germain over 20 years ago, is convinced Chelsea will be a force again in the future.

“I think they deserve to be in a much higher position in the league, when you look at what they’ve done and what they’ve produced in games — they’ve reached a final, they’ve reached a semi-final, they could have been through,” he said.

“I think what Mauricio is doing is really impressive, so I’m sure that he’s going to get them there.

“It’s two huge clubs, a London derby, a massive game for us and we have prepared in the best possible way.”