'He caused a lot of problems' - Declan Rice singles out Kevin De Bruyne for praise after Arsenal edge past Napoli in Champions League

Arsenal kicked off their Champions League league phase campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Napoli on Wednesday night, but the talking point after the final whistle at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was the performance of a familiar foe. Rice, who anchored the Gunners' midfield during the tense encounter, admitted that De Bruyne is still operating at a world-class level despite moving to Italy last summer.

De Bruyne was handed his first start of the season for the Serie A side after a slow start to the domestic campaign that saw him restricted to just three substitute appearances. However, the former Manchester City talisman showed no signs of rustiness as he pulled the strings for the hosts.

Asked about the challenge of facing the Belgian once again, Rice told Prime Video: "Yeah, good, really good. A player that, even tonight, even though we won, he caused a lot of problems still. A player that’s so smart, moves into really good spaces. It was realy nice to see him again after playing against him for so long."

The admiration for De Bruyne extended beyond the playing staff, as Mikel Arteta was seen sharing a warm exchange with his former player at full-time. Arteta, who worked closely with the Belgian during his time as an assistant coach at Manchester City, was effusive in his praise for the Napoli star during his post-match media duties.

Arteta told reporters: "If there is a player in Napoli that is one of my favourite-ever players, that is Kevin De Bruyne, who I had the luxury to train and to be with him for almost four years. In my opinion, he is one of the best midfielders ever and still a joy to watch him play." The respect was clearly mutual, with De Bruyne also praising Arsenal and claiming they are "maybe the best team in the world."

While De Bruyne dominated much of the tactical battle in the middle of the park, it was Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard who ultimately decided the contest. The Norwegian playmaker found the net with a late strike to ensure Arteta’s side left Italy with a perfect start to their European journey.

For Arsenal, the win represents a major statement of intent as they look to go one better in this year’s Champions League following their heartbreak against PSG in last season's final. The reigning Premier League champions will now turn their attention back to domestic duties when they travel to face Sunderland on Sunday, buoyed by the fact that they managed to shut out a Napoli attack led by such a creative force. For De Bruyne, the performance serves as a notice to the rest of Europe that he is far from finished. Napoli, meanwhile, will look to bounce back and snap a losing streak when they host Bologna.