West Ham United continued their impressive upward trajectory under David Moyes with a superb performance against Aston Villa at Villa Park, powering to a 4-1 win.
It was a triumph which meant they finished gameweek 10 in fourth spot, three points away from fifth-placed Manchester United, but also it was their fourth league win in 5 games and continuing their unbeaten away form so far this season.
There is plenty of excitement and optimism at the London Stadium, as David Moyes is in the process of moulding and shaping such a well-rounded, organised, fine-balanced and progressive footballing unit.
From 1st choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski right down to lone-hitman Michail Antonio, the former Everton and Manchester United boss is assembling a team seriously capable of laying down a major assault on an unprecedented top-four sport come May, and you certainly wouldn’t put it past them.
Who knows? Maybe, just maybe the Hammers could well end this campaign with their first real competitive trophy since their FA Cup triumph in 1980. The club are still involved in all their cup competitions so far after beating EFL Cup holders Manchester City to make it to the last eight.
Much of West Ham’s fine progression has not only been down to their togetherness, spirited and organised nature on the football pitch, but its a team filled with unlikely individuals playing at the top of their games, like academy product Ben Johnson – grabbing his first professional goal against Villa – Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma and the colossal Michail Antonio up front.
But one man who just simply gets better with every passing game, continuing his stellar progression under David Moyes’ tutelage is club captain and one of England and Gareth Southgate’s trusted lieutenants Declan Rice.
The 22-year-old has been in sensational form over the last couple of campaigns but has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of the 2021/22 campaign, with pundit and TV host Gary Lineker labelling his latest performance against Aston Villa “magnificent”.
Rice has been central to West Ham’s impressive start to the campaign, putting in some superb performances from midfield alongside Tomas Soucek.
“I don’t think he’s been consistent enough. He doesn’t stay with runners. He’s sloppy in possession… I can go on.” This was the grueling assessment from Roy Keane on Rice in November 2019. But two years on, the Irishman has been forced to eat his previous words and completely alter his assessment of the midfielder: “He’s 22 and I look at where I was when I was 22, and he’s way ahead of me.”
Rightly so, Declan Rice has developed into one of Europe’s most prestigious young midfielders in the space of about a year, or even inside this calendar year. The Hammers academy product has dramatically improved all aspects of his play, in his defensive work but most significantly in his distribution and ball-progression.
Rice has been the catalyst for much of West Ham’s efficient and devastating counter-attacking goals so far this campaign, and earned the treat of contributing to two of West Ham’s four goals against Aston Villa, setting up Ben Johnson for the opener and taking advantage of Emiliano Martinez’ poor positioning with a 25-yard piledriver into the bottom corner – a true reflection of the kind of confidence and elegant aura that the 22-year-old is currently performing from.
In actual fact, it’s difficult to pin-down Declan Rice’s best role, and that’s testament to the varied quality of the midfielder.
In previous campaigns, the midfielder has been defined as a deep-lying defensive midfielder, tasked in shielding his back-four, disrupting opposition attacking moves while recycling possession to his more forward-thinking teammates.
However, Rice’s game has transcended much beyond that, he is a hybrid midfielder fulfilling a number of roles and duties within the Hammers midfield, its no wonder Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly stepping up their interest in the so-called “£100m man”.
This season, Rice has maintained and excelled in his defensive anchoring duties. He’s averaged 2.9 interceptions per 90 minutes so far this campaign, the most of any midfielder in the Premier League. Also, the 22-year-old has won on average 1.60 tackles per 90 minutes, 2.00 blocks, 1.10 clearances and completed 4.30 successful pressures.
Although Rice’s defensive work has been correctly lauded prior to this season, it’s something that he has improved upon further since the summer, and his first major international tournament for his country has proven a pivotal experience in his outstanding development.
Though one aspect in which Rice is totally excelling is his distribution of the ball, and he recognises it himself: “This season, one thing I can definitely say I have improved on is my play with the ball.” This is why it is now hard to pin down the English international’s best role – a box-to-box, or deep-lying playmaker? And that’s not a bad thing, in fact its a celebration of how far the midfielder has come under David Moyes.
Rather than simply a defensive midfield anchor, Rice has transformed his passing ability of late. He’s completed 608 passes – the 3rd most of any midfielder in the Premier League behind Manchester City’s Rodri (632) and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson (635). Also, his contributions to West Ham’s possession play in dissecting defences is simply brilliant too.
He averages 1.20 key passes per 90, 6.80 final-third passes – the third most of any midfielder in the competition also – and 4.20 progressive passes (completed passes which moves the ball towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its furthest point).
Even more impressively, this has been achieved with a 91% passing accuracy, a figure 5% higher than last season. The West Ham vice-captain has for a long time been considered someone that plays the easy pass. However, the stats clearly show that has not been the case this season.
He also has the 2nd highest figure of Premier League midfielders for total progressive distance of passes. Compared to last season, Rice is making 1.5 more progressive passes per 90. So whilst Rice’s passing accuracy has improved from last season, he is actually making far more progressive, risky passes, making his improved passing accuracy all the more impressive.
Furthermore, his dribbling of the ball, progressing his side up the pitch or evading opponent’s pressure has also represented a stand-out feature of his game. As shown in the image above, according to OptaJoe, only Bernardo Silva has amassed more progressive carries (110) than Rice’s 106 which makes for yet another pleasing reading for the English international.
Per 90, that reads at 7.40 progressive carries, whilst also averaging 3.20 progressive carries into the attacking areas of the pitch. Rice is a driving force, a true metronomic figure on the ball for West Ham whilst also becoming a dominant, sturdy and tough-tackling figure when defending his own goal.
Most notably, Rice’s ability to carry the ball up the pitch can be seen in his remarkable solo goal against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League. After intercepting the ball inside his own half, he shrugs off a challenge before marauding into the Zagreb box and firing past Livakovic. Rice’s headed goal against Rapid Wien signalled the Englishman’s newfound intent to break the lines and get into the box.
Compared to last campaign, Rice is managing more touches all over the pitch highlighting his ever-increasing contributions to West Ham’s play. He’s so far recorded three goals and three assists so far in all competitions. Defensive midfielder? Surely not.
Clearly, he is now more intent and confident in joining the attack while Soucek screens behind him, and vice-versa. It is why both Soucek and Rice have become arguably the Premier League’s most effective and cohesive midfield pivot, and that is a testament to the squad David Moyes is assembling at the London Stadium.
After all, he did a brilliant job of anchoring the England midfield during the recent European Championships in June/July. However, so far this season Rice has elevated his game once again. Not only has he built upon his screening work in front of the defence, but also his ball progression and contributions to West Ham’s attacking play.
Whether it’s his powerful, driving runs or his crisp passing through the lines, Rice has developed his play on the ball considerably. West Ham now have a unique talent – a hybrid player and arguably one of the most complete midfielders in European football right now.
What a player.
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