Moyes: Arsenal’s high level down to Rice, we’re strong without him

West Ham United manager David Moyes has suggested Arsenal look better placed to win the Premier League title this season because of Declan Rice. 

Rice has made an instant impact at Arsenal since joining from West Ham last summer for a reported £105million transfer fee, playing all 18 of their Premier League matches this season, winning 12 and drawing four.

He ranks second among all midfielders this season for interceptions, places fourth for passes, and has chipped in with three goals and an assist ahead of Thursday’s match against his former club.

“We’re all pleased for Declan Rice,” Moyes said. “No one ever doubted his ability and, while we won’t be cheering him on against us on Thursday evening, we’re always looking out for him.

“I said right from the start that I thought Declan Rice was a top player and I thought his value could have been greater. We got the price we wanted though, and Dec got the move he wanted, so it was a move that worked for both parties. 

“I think Declan would make any team more mature and improve any team in the Premier League so I think their current levels are partially to do with him right now.”

‘It’s made us stronger’

Despite losing a star player, Moyes thinks the transfer of Rice to Arsenal has made West Ham stronger. They sit seventh in the table, only six points off the top four, and have progressed into the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League, the competition ranked one better than the UEFA Europa Conference League they won last season in Rice’s final match with the club.

“From our standpoint, we had to go again and it can make you stronger and make you grow,” Moyes added.

“In many ways, that’s what we’ve done. We’ve had to go out and find new players, who we thought could help us, and I think we’ve done it well.”

A different challenge

Thursday’s match won’t be Rice’s first against West Ham since he left. The two teams met in the EFL Cup in November, with West Ham winning 3-1 thanks to a Ben White own goal and strikes from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. 

But Rice featured only as a substitute in that match as Arsenal rung the changes, and Moyes thinks Thursday’s meeting will be an entirely different contest. 

“We can expect huge challenges on Thursday,” Moyes said.

“Arsenal have always been a really hard team to beat. We had a good result against them in the Carabao Cup at London Stadium but the Premier League is a different competition and it brings out different players. 

“I’m sure Arsenal will get back to their full-strength team, and going to the Emirates Stadium is never an easy task either.”