'I know Enzo really well': Declan Rice gives honest verdict on Maresca after woking with Chelsea manager
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has been speaking about Enzo Maresca in the build-up to his side’s game against Chelsea later.
Declan Rice worked with Enzo Maresca when the Italian was a coach at West Ham United and is now watching him have success with Chelsea.
Maresca’s men can return to the top four today if they manage to beat Rice’s Arsenal.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool |
11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 2 |  Man CityManchester City |
11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest |
10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 |  BrightonBrighton |
11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea |
10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| 6 |  ArsenalArsenal |
10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| 7 |  FulhamFulham |
11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 |  Aston VillaAston Villa |
11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has also been speaking about Maresca, praising the 44-year-old for the impact that he has made at Chelsea since arriving at the club in the summer.
- READ MORE: Chelsea insiders believe Enzo Maresca sees ‘fantastic’ player as undroppable, not Cole Palmer
Declan Rice on Enzo Maresca
Rice has not had anything bad to say about Maresca, talking up his character when asked about Chelsea as a whole.
The 25-year-old has also been impressed with the Blues’ improvement this season compared to the previous campaign.
In an interview with Freddie Ljungberg on Arsenal’s official website, Rice said: “I think the transition they’ve made this season has been amazing compared to last season. The coach, I worked with him at West Ham for a few years, so I know Enzo really well and he’s a really good guy.
“They’ve got a young, exciting squad of players, so fair play to them for what they’re doing because there was a lot of negative talk about Chelsea last season. They’ve put that behind them to play how they’ve done this year with their style of play and attack, so credit to them. It’s set up to be a really tough game.”
If Rice plays against Chelsea, he will go up against the in-form Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park. It has been claimed that Chelsea believe that Caicedo is a superior player to Rice.
Why Declan Rice could miss the Chelsea game
Rice was absent for Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League during the week.
The Englishman has broken a toe, so there is a possibility that he may not actually be able to step onto the Stamford Bridge pitch today.
However, the noise coming out of Arsenal suggests that he will try to play through the pain barrier in a boost to Arteta.
The England international is obviously a key player for Arteta and again, the Gunners will be taking on Caicedo this afternoon.
He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League right now, so Arteta is going to need his best midfield out there.
Former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke doesn’t think there is a better midfielder than Caicedo in the English top flight at present.
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