Arsenal were in control from early on in their Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, with Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres scoring to put them 2-0 up at half-time.

Mikel Arteta made six changes from the win at Anfield, with Martin Odegaard among those on the bench. That meant the captain’s armband went to one of the club’s most important players, and he was at the heart of everything. Former Gunners defender Martin Keown was full of praise.

Martin Keown on Declan Rice vs Slavia Prague

Declan Rice was everywhere in the first half. He overlapped down both flanks, almost created a goal with a ball across the six-yard box, and played the pass into Gyokeres that started the move for Arsenal’s second.

Commentating on the game for TNT Sports, Keown said Rice made the game look effortless. “Declan Rice is making the game look so easy there, because with the distances he has to cover, he’s really tidy with his feet, sees danger perfectly,” he said.

“You know, is he a six? Is he an eight? I don’t think we should be tying him down to any one of those really, because he’s got two engines.”

It’s a debate that has followed Rice for most of his Arsenal career, and it’s been especially relevant lately. He’s been spending far more time on the right side of the pitch this season, which is where his overlap and cross set up Kai Havertz’s winner at Anfield. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, meanwhile, said he’d be “virtually unplayable” if he played with fewer touches.

Rice has five Premier League assists this season, the most in the division, and Arsenal look a different team when he’s given the freedom to get forward. Keown’s right: there’s no point tying him down to one role when he can do it all.