Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Enzo Maresca recalls experience of coaching Declan Rice ahead of Premier League showdown
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has insisted he cannot take any credit for the supreme development of Arsenal star Declan Rice.
The Blues and the Gunners face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the visitors look to defend and extend their six-point advantage over their hosts.
Mikel Arteta’s side are on a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions, largely helped by Rice’s performances in the engine room.
As well as contributing two goals and five assists in 2025-26, the 26-year-old has been instrumental in Arsenal’s frequent Premier League title challenges since arriving from West Ham United in 2023.
While much of his development at the Hammers took place under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini and David Moyes, Rice also worked under Maresca when the Italian was part of the former’s backroom team at the London Stadium.
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Maresca comments on Rice’s rise to prominence
Quoted by The Standard, Maresca revealed that he used to hold one-on-one sessions with Rice as he made the transition to the first team.
Nonetheless, he removed himself from the conversation that he had an overwhelming influence on Rice’s rise to becoming one of the best midfielders in the world.
He said: “It was a bit of a different time when I was at West Ham. He (Rice) was younger. I had a lot of extra sessions with Declan, one-on-one, and you could see he was already very good.
“He was with second team players as a central defender. Manuel Pellegrini decided to play him in the first team as a midfielder but (he) was a different age to Moises (Caicedo). But you could see he was already very, very good.”
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“He is different from Caicedo”
Asked if he deserved credit for Rice’s development, Maresca said: “No, no, no. Pellegrini decided to play him there. He doesn’t play as a midfielder. He plays forward, he plays like Enzo Fernandez. It’s a different position (from Caicedo).
“It’s an evolution for him and it’s Mikel’s (Arteta) job. He’s a fantastic player and he’s a complete player. He can defend, he can attack, he can do everything.”
In the build-up to the showdown in west London, Maresca also spoke about what he thinks the key reason for Arsenal holding a dominant position at the top of the Premier League table.