Rice could face disciplinary action for suggesting referee swayed by crowd

Declan Rice could face potential disciplinary action after suggesting that the referee’s controversial decision to overturn an Arsenal penalty against Atlético Madrid was swayed by the Spanish side’s supporters.

Referee Danny Makkelie initially awarded Arsenal a second-half penalty in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final after Eberechi Eze was challenged by Atlético defender David Hancko.

He then overturned the decision, under heavy pressure from the Atlético coaching staff and supporters, after reviewing the footage on the pitchside monitor.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was “incredibly fuming” about the decision, which came with the score level at 1-1.

And Rice told broadcaster Stan Sport: “It’s a clear penalty. I don’t know how that’s not been given. I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref’s mind.”

Those comments could potentially land the Arsenal midfielder in trouble, if Uefa deems him to have questioned the integrity of the match officials.

Earlier this season, Manchester City midfielder Rodri was fined £80,000 after accusing referee Robert Jones of not being “neutral” in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Rodri was charged by the Football Association, rather than Uefa.

Rice has previously faced a disciplinary sanction from Uefa for comments about match officials. In 2022, he was banned for two games after he accused a referee of “corruption” following West Ham United ’s defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals.

On that occasion, Rice was filmed saying to referee Jesus Gil Manzano: “Ref, ref, it’s so poor, all night, it’s so bad. How can you be that bad, honestly? You’ve probably been paid.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard ’s fitness woes have continued after he once again felt discomfort in his knee during the match against Atlético.

Odegaard has been battling a knee problem in recent months and appeared to have physio treatment on the sideline shortly before the half-time break. He was then substituted 13 minutes into the second half.

Rice told TV2: “I think he [Odegaard] made the right decision, because he felt pain in his knee again and it could have been worse if he had continued to play. He was smart and thought about the game this weekend and the one next week. I hope it works out. He’s a warrior.

“He’s had a lot of knee problems and it’s been tough, but he’s been through it before. He’s worked so hard to get back into shape and we need him.”

Arsenal’s Premier League title charge continues on Saturday, when they host Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.

The tactical tweak that got the best out of peerless Declan Rice

The football-loving people of Madrid must regard Declan Rice as one of the most monstrous players on the planet. Three times in the last year he has played Champions League knockout ties against teams from the Spanish capital, and three times he has been the dominant force in midfield.

Last season, it was Real Madrid who could not cope with Rice’s set-piece brilliance and tireless running. This time, in an agonisingly tense semi-final first leg , it was Atlético Madrid who struggled to answer the questions posed by Rice’s physicality and awareness.

Admittedly, Rice’s showing on Wednesday night was not quite as spectacular as his two stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid last season. Arsenal’s collective showing was not as impressive either. But the 27-year-old was once again Mikel Arteta’s most important and forceful player, especially in a first half that he completely controlled.

It requires a certain strength of character to arrive at a throbbing arena like this one, against a Diego Simeone team that lives to punish any opposition error, and almost single-handedly remove the sting from the game. Rice had help in that regard but there was no doubt that he was the central player here, both figuratively and literally.

No one on the pitch had more touches or completed more passes than the England international, who did more than anyone to restrict the danger posed by the ever-threatening Julián Alvarez . It was even Rice’s firm (and fair) challenge on Alvarez that ultimately resulted in Atlético’s best player being removed from the game.

How much of Rice’s excellence was a result of an unexpected change in his positioning? He played in a far deeper role here, as the “No 6” at the base of Arsenal’s midfield three, rather than as a box-to-box player.

It became clear within a few minutes that Arteta’s tactical plan for this game was to flip the positions of Rice and Martín Zubimendi . Throughout this season, Rice has either played alongside Zubimendi in midfield or ahead of him, pushing forward into the opposition’s penalty area. It is Rice’s ability to run from one end of the pitch to the other, after all, that has led to him being nicknamed “the horse” by his Arsenal team-mates.

By moving Rice to the deeper role, Arteta returned him to the position in which he made his name at West Ham United. In his time at the London Stadium, Rice mostly patrolled the space in front of the defence, winning tackles and then passing forward. His game has evolved at Arsenal but this was a throwback of sorts, and it was unquestionably effective.

Rice touch maps from last two Champions League matches:

Perhaps one reason for the shift in positioning was that Zubimendi has struggled for form and consistency. Too often he has appeared vulnerable in possession, and too often he has been unable to track opposition runners. Bournemouth ’s recent winning goal at the Emirates Stadium, for example, was a consequence of Zubimendi failing to defend as a team would expect their holding midfielder to defend.

By moving the Spaniard into Rice’s usual position on the left, Arteta removed some of this burden from Zubimendi. The midfield was instead built around Rice, who formed a formidable defensive triangle along with the powerful figures of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães behind him.

It meant that Rice was always close to Alvarez, and always in a position to shut down the space in front of Arsenal’s penalty area. A crucial tackle in the 42nd minute, just as Alvarez seemed destined to score, was illustrative of his defensive awareness.

One of the few doubts about Rice in an Arsenal shirt has been whether he is capable of playing enough incisive, forward passes from this position at the base of midfield. Most would regard Rice’s physicality and courage as his greatest attributes, rather than his vision in possession.

This performance, though, should serve as a powerful rebuttal to any suggestions that Rice can lack the passing range to start attacks from the centre of the field. He made 12 “line-breaking passes”, the most of any player on the pitch, and also completed the most passes in the opposition’s half.

It felt fitting that the captain’s armband was given to Rice following the second-half substitution of Martin Odegaard, who had required some treatment from physios before the break. Rice had played like a leader in the first half and he continued to do so in the second, aside from one misplaced pass towards the right wing.

The second leg will require more leadership, personality and courage from Arsenal’s players. Rice, a man who has hardly stopped running all season, appears best-placed to provide those qualities. A year ago, Arsenal fell short at this stage when they lost to Paris St-Germain . On this evidence, Rice is determined to drag this team at least one step further.