April 10th 2024.
According to football legend Thierry Henry, Declan Rice's positioning was to blame for Bayern Munich's equalizer in their 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday night. It was a thrilling quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium, with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring for Arsenal. However, Bayern soon leveled the game thanks to a goal from Serge Gnabry in the 18th minute, taking advantage of a mistake from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya and a loose pass from Gabriel Magalhaes.
During his analysis for CBS Sports, Henry pointed out Rice's mistake in trying to intercept a pass from Leroy Sane to Leon Goretzka. This allowed Goretzka to exploit the space left behind and set up Gnabry for the equalizing goal. "The goal of Gnabry and what Declan Rice should have done at that particular moment... you have to rectify it," Henry stated, emphasizing the importance of making up for a mistake on the field.
Henry also highlighted the distance between Arsenal's two center-backs, Gabriel and Saliba, and how it left them vulnerable to Bayern's attack. He explained that Rice's decision to step forward and try to intercept the pass was a mistake, as it allowed Goretzka to exploit the space. "Leroy Sane wasn't born yesterday, you make those three steps, Goretzka sees it and runs in behind because look at the gap between Gabriel and Saliba, and you have a man [Gnabry] running," Henry said.
When asked if Saliba could have anticipated the pass, Henry replied, "You're dead. You can't." He went on to explain that it was a difficult situation for the young defender, as he was facing a world-class player in Sane. "He's aware of Gnabry coming. It's a hell of a pass. It's Leroy Sane on the ball, it's not a guy at the bottom of the Premier League on the ball," Henry stated, acknowledging the quality of Bayern's players.
In the end, Henry's analysis showed that it was a combination of factors that led to Bayern's equalizer, but Rice's mistake was a crucial one. He advised the young midfielder to stay back and not try to close down the opposition when his team loses possession. "Just saying Declan Rice at that particular moment, just don't go, [stay in a] back three and you see Gnabry, Sane and Goretzka coming," Henry advised.
It was a tough lesson for Arsenal to learn, but Henry's analysis was spot on. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Arsenal now facing a tough challenge in the second leg against the German giants. But with Henry's expert analysis, the team can learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the next game. After all, that's what the beautiful game is all about – learning, improving, and never giving up.
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