"The best player on the pitch" - Gary Lineker hails Arsenal star for his performance in win over Manchester City

Gary Lineker singled out Declan Rice for praise after Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester City on Sunday (8 October).

Gabriel Martinelli grabbed the headlines after coming on for the second half and scoring an 86th-minute winner, albeit via a Nathan Ake deflection. But Lineker believes Rice was the best player on the pitch in what was the north London club's first league win against Manchester City since December 2015.

In a tweet posted on X after the full-time whistle, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona striker wrote:

"Important victory for @Arse nal in many ways. @_DeclanRice the best player on the pitch imho."

Rice's most notable contribution came in the fourth minute of the game when he cleared Josko Gvardiol's attempt off the line. It set the tone for a strong performance from the England international against last year's champions.

No player created more goal-scoring chances than Rice (2) in the game. The 24-year-old, who cost £105 million to sign from West Ham United this summer, also recorded four recoveries, three interceptions and two clearances.

Arsenal are now second in the table with 20 points from eight league matches, leading Manchester City by two points. Tottenham Hotspur lead their north London rivals on goals scored after gameweek eight.

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Mikel Arteta gives verdict on Manchester City star's yellow-card tackle on Arsenal's Martin Odegaard

The match was a tightly contested affair in the first half. Both teams had their fair share of chances to score but it stayed 0-0 until the 86th minute.

Things, however, could have been very different had Mateo Kovacic been sent off for his tackle on Martin Odegaard in the 28th minute. The Croatian midfielder seemed to have caught the Arsenal captain's ankle with his studs after attempting a slide tackle.

The referee gave the former Chelsea midfielder a yellow card, a decision which wasn't overturned after a VAR check. Mikel Arteta nevertheless didn't seem to mind the incident after full-time considering his team took all three points.

Addressing Kovacic's tackle, the Spanish tactician told Sky Sports (h/t BBC) after the full-time whistle:

"I have seen the action but it is in the past and luckily we won."

Arsenal will now return to action on 21 October after the international break, with an away league game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Contrary to their London rivals, the Blues have had a poor start to the season, sitting 11th in the table with just 11 points.