Rice vs Caicedo: The £200m battle on November 30
Chelsea welcomes Arsenal on November 30 to heat up the Rice vs Caicedo match: Caicedo excels in contesting and tackling, Rice stands out in the Burnley match with 94 touches and 7 passes into the penalty area.
On November 30, when Chelsea host Arsenal, all eyes will be on midfield. Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice — two midfielders worth more than £100 million — are about to be put to the test to establish a new standard for the anchor role in the Premier League.
Hot spot Rice vs Caicedo in midfield
The debate over Caicedo and Rice has been all over social media: one is a pure No. 6 who tends to cover the pitch, the other is often pushed higher, playing the No. 8 role and participating more in attacks. The difference in position does not prevent comparisons of influence and class — especially when they go head-to-head.
Why is Caicedo called "King of Tackles"?
Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham was a case in point. Caicedo put on a masterful defensive display and was named Man of the Match. The respect he commanded in the dressing room was unrivalled.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez said: “He is the best player on the planet in his position. Who better than Caicedo in that position? He is a beast. Every 50-50, every challenge, Caicedo wins. He is calm on the ball and in his finishing.”
Coach Maresca commented: “Caicedo is showing how good he is. He is top. For me, he and Rodri, at the moment, are the two best defensive midfielders in the world.” Caicedo being placed alongside Rodri, the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or, shows the stature the Ecuadorian midfielder is reaching.
Selected statistics: defensive advantage favors Caicedo
Through the lens of data, Caicedo's defensive stats are overwhelmingly in his favor. If you look at the total number of successful tackles per 1,000 opponents' touches, Caicedo has 9.4 — 11th among defensive midfielders with more than 900 minutes of play since the start of last season. Rice is 59th in that category.
In terms of tackle efficiency, Caicedo won 61% (14th) and Rice 60% (17th) over the same period. Caicedo also averaged 1.8 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which was seventh among midfielders. Those numbers paint a picture of a complete sweeper, present in every hot spot and constantly suffocating opponents.
| Index | Caicedo | Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Successful tackles/1,000 opponent touches | 9.4 (ranked 11th) | Ranked 59th |
| Tackle winning rate | 61% (ranked 14th) | 60% (ranked 17th) |
| Ball recovery every 90 minutes | 1.8 (ranked 7th in the midfield group) | — |
Ratings are for the period since the start of the previous season, in the group of defensive midfielders with over 900 minutes of playing time (where stated).
Rice and the evening "dominated" the indexes
On the other hand, Rice has a more complete midfield presence thanks to his attacking presence. When Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0, Rice led a series of stats: most touches (94), most passes into the box (7), most tackles (5), most interceptions (3) and most duels won (9).
In terms of output contribution, Rice (two goals, four assists) is better than Caicedo (four goals, one assist). But in the purely defensive picture of a number 6, Caicedo is still the “destroyer”.
Waiting for the match on November 30
When Chelsea and Arsenal go head-to-head, the balance between control and disruption will be exposed: Caicedo as a pure No. 6, Rice as a versatile No. 8. If both are at their best, the midfield could well be the stage for a classic battle — a true £200 million showdown.