Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has insisted that Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice are not the only elite midfielders in the Premier League, naming three others he believes are operating at a similar level.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s showdown with Arsenal on Sunday, Maresca highlighted Manchester City’s Rodri, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes as midfielders whose quality matches that of Caicedo and Rice.
Maresca, when asked if he agreed with suggestions that Rice and Caicedo are currently the league’s standout midfielders, responded:
“I think the Premier League is full of good players, very good midfielders.
As you said—Moises, Declan, Rodri from Manchester City, Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle.”
His comments come amid rising debate about the league’s top midfielders, with Arsenal legend Paul Merson recently naming Caicedo and Rice as the two best midfielders in the world at the moment.
Both Caicedo and Rice secured high-profile moves in recent years—Caicedo joining Chelsea from Brighton, and Rice signing for Arsenal from West Ham United.
Chelsea host league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in what is expected to be one of the biggest matches of the weekend.
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