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Horse Racing Stats Breakdown: Rice compared to fellow midfielder Partey
Declan Rice vs Thomas Partey: A Comparison
The central defensive midfielder holds a crucial role in most football teams in the modern era. They assume multiple responsibilities, including protecting and screening the back four, executing tough tackles, intercepting passes, dropping back to support the defence and facilitate build-up overloads, and orchestrating attacks from a deep position. This specialist position demands the highest quality players, and it remains a top priority for teams in the Premier League.
The transfer saga of Declan Rice to Arsenal was a long and drawn-out process. The Gunners faced rejection for their first two offers for Rice, one of which was £75 million with an additional £15 million in add-ons. Eventually, Arsenal secured the services of the England midfielder, beating competition from title rivals Manchester City. Although sources indicate that Arsenal was always Rice’s preferred destination, City chose not to match or surpass Arsenal’s offer.
Arsenal’s third offer for Rice, amounting to £100 million ($127 million) plus £5 million ($6.3 million) in add-ons, was accepted by West Ham, making it a British transfer record signing. Rice made his debut for Arsenal in a 2-0 loss to Manchester United over the weekend. As the season draws closer, bettingexpert, with the help of statistical experts at OPTA, has analysed Rice’s performance data from the previous season in comparison to his fellow Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey. Both players can potentially operate as the number 6 for Arsenal or play alongside each other in the upcoming season. The question remains: who will come out on top?
In this article:
- Rice topples Thomas in Games Played Partey
- Partey Dominates Basmati Rice Defensively
- Passing is Thomas’s Partey Trick
- Summary
Rice topples Thomas in Games Played Partey
Last season, Declan Rice demonstrated his durability and stamina as the “Duracell man” for West Ham in the league. He impressively accumulated 3272 minutes of playing time across 37 league games. On the other hand, Thomas Partey, the key figure in Ghana’s midfield, played a total of 2485 minutes in 33 league games.
Despite both players featuring in a similar number of games, the difference in minutes played indicates that Rice tended to stay on the pitch for longer periods during each match compared to his new midfield teammate.
Partey Dominates Basmati Rice Defensively
Declan Rice and Thomas Partey are highly respected defensive midfielders who have made a name for themselves in the Premier League over the last few seasons. We’ll ask the question; can Arsenal’s expenditure of over £100 million on Rice is justified can be analysed by looking at their statistics?
In terms of possession won and interceptions, Rice had a better season than Partey. Rice averaged 9.2 possessions won per 90 minutes compared to Partey’s 8.2, and he also averaged 1.7 interceptions per 90 minutes compared to Partey’s 1.0. One of the reasons for Rice’s ability to win the ball frequently is his knack for making interceptions, where he reads the opponent’s passes and intercepts them without engaging in a duel or tackle. This skill set is something Rice has honed and mastered during his time at West Ham.
However, there are some defensive metrics in which Partey outperformed Rice, shedding light on Partey’s ability to protect his side from a defensive perspective. According to the data provided by OPTA, Partey had better numbers in Duels Won (6), Duel Success % (58.70%), Tackles Won (1.5), and Tackles Won% (57.10%) per 90 minutes. In contrast, Rice averaged 4.6 duels won per game, a 58.60% success rate in duels, 1.1 tackles won, and an average success rate of 48.10% per 90.
Based on last season’s statistics, Partey performed better as a defensive anchor for his side than Rice did. However, it’s essential to consider that Rice was playing in a struggling West Ham side, while Partey was part of Arsenal, a team contending for the title against the reigning champions in Manchester City.
In conclusion, while the stats suggest that Partey had a stronger defensive performance last season, the context of the teams they played for should be taken into account. Arsenal’s pursuit of Rice might be justified by their assessment of his potential impact and value to the team, considering his skill set and his performances despite playing in a less successful side.
Passing is Thomas’s Partey Trick
When judging the quality of a defensive or deeper-lying midfielder, their passing ability will always massively contribute to an overall opinion, especially in this modern era of the game, which has become focused on possession-based, technically supreme-led football.
Whilst Partey made an average of 70.5 passes per game, Rice actually had better passing accuracy, with 88.10% to Partey’s 88.00%. With the margins in the passing accuracy being so minimal and Partey making more passes per 90, it could be argued that Partey’s passing contribution is of more significance to his side.
Passing forwards is certainly an ideal skill and mindset for most midfielders to have, and in that remit, Partey outshines Rice with 19.2 per 90 to Rice’s 16.7. This is also the case for passes ending in the opp half. 44.3 of Partey’s passes end up in the opponent’s half to Rice’s 30.2.
Partey’s passing accuracy in the opponent’s half was at a high of 85.90%. However, Ride’s accuracy is scarily close to Partey’s at 84.90%. In this facet, it could be argued that Partey’s accuracy is more impressive due to the volume of passes in the opponent’s half made to Rice’s.
Lastly, the number of Partey’s passes ending in the final third per 90 scored at 22.3 to Rice’s 16.9. Meanwhile, Partey’s accuracy in passes ending in the final third per 90 was at 80.20%. Whilst Rice scored at 80.10%.
Again here, Partey outshines Rice in the passing statistics gathered by OPTA. From the data, it seems as though Partey is the superior footballer.
Summary
Arsenal showed strong determination in securing the signing of Declan Rice, and at the age of 24, he still has significant potential for development. The guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, could play a crucial role in unlocking even more of Rice’s abilities.
When comparing key defensive and passing statistics from OPTA, Thomas Partey has the edge based on last season. However, it’s essential to consider the context in which the players performed. Partey was part of an Arsenal side competing at the top of the league, benefiting from better teammates and arguably a stronger manager compared to Rice’s situation at struggling West Ham.
Rice’s move to Arsenal will be intriguing as he joins a team with more talented players and higher ambitions. Being surrounded by better teammates could potentially elevate Rice’s game further. Under Arteta’s guidance and within the Arsenal setup, he might have the opportunity to improve and refine his skills further.
Overall, the transfer of Declan Rice to Arsenal represents an exciting prospect for both the player and the club. It remains to be seen how Rice will settle into Arteta’s team and if the presence of better players around him will positively impact his performance on the pitch. As he continues to develop, Rice could become a vital asset for Arsenal’s midfield and contribute significantly to their success in the league.
