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Jamie Carragher has hailed Arsenal star Declan Rice as "the best midfielder in the Premier League by a distance" following the Gunners' hard-fought win over Liverpool.
Kai Havertz settled it at Anfield, bundling home from close range at the far post after a superb pass from Rice.
Both sides carved out chances once Havertz had broken the deadlock. It finished 1-0, sending Arsenal top of the Premier League and leaving Liverpool in fifth.
Rice took the man-of-the-match award after a gruelling Arsenal victory, and the Liverpool legend had no quarrel with the call. He went further still, rating him not just the best midfielder in the Premier League but one of the finest players in the Gunners' history.
Carragher told Sky Sports: "He is the best midfielder in the Premier League by a distance. It is not up for debate."
As reported by the Metro, he added: "Declan Rice is the best midfielder in this country. I am not an Arsenal fan, but I sometimes hear people talking about him, and I am somewhat astonished because they do not understand football and they are not watching the same match that I am watching."
The former Liverpool defender concluded: "He is a world-class midfielder. There is absolutely no doubt about that. He is one of the best midfielders ever to have played for Arsenal. They have obviously had some wonderful players. He is among the best of them."