West Ham United manager David Moyes delivered a stunning tribute to his former captain Declan Rice, labelling the Arsenal star as potentially the world's finest midfielder following a narrow defeat at Goodison Park.
Moyes's glowing tribute after Gunners' victory
The praise came after Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side secured a crucial 1-0 away win against Everton on Saturday, December 21, 2025. The only goal of the match came from a first-half penalty, calmly converted by striker Viktor Gyokeres.
This result was significant for the title race, as it allowed Arsenal to restore their two-point lead at the Premier League summit over reigning champions Manchester City.
'The best midfield player in the world'
Despite his Everton team's loss, Moyes reserved his highest praise for the performance of Declan Rice, who he managed during the player's time at West Ham. The 26-year-old English international controlled the game from the heart of Arsenal's midfield.
"I thought Tim [Iroegbunam] played really well, he was up against probably the best midfield player in the world in some ways and he did a really good job," Moyes stated in his post-match interview.
He elaborated on Rice's development, crediting the influence of current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: "Look, Declan developed himself, it's not down to me, Declan was always going to be a great player. Mikel has made him into a real, real top player."
Moyes also highlighted Rice's character, adding: "But he's a great boy more than anything, he's a terrific boy, and because of that it'll give him a great chance, a great player as well, lots of top attributes."
Arteta echoes the praise for his star man
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was equally effusive in his assessment of Rice's display against a stubborn Everton side. His one-word summary of the performance was "Unbelievable."
"His all-round play, his leadership on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained, as well that allowed us to run," Arteta explained. "He's been incredibly consistent this year again, and yeah, what a massive player for us he is."
The match itself was a tight affair, with Moyes lamenting his team's inability to find a late equaliser. "We just couldn't get a scrappy goal or someone scoring a World Cup Willie goal, we just could not get one of them," he said, praising his players' effort despite the result.
With this victory, Arsenal solidify their position at the top of the table, while Everton are left to reflect on a hard-fought match where they came up against a player deemed by a respected Premier League manager to be the very best in his position globally.
