Carragher says Rice is Premier League’s outstanding midfielder and up there with Arsenal great Vieira

Jamie Carragher has said Declan Rice is the best midfielder in the Premier League by a distance and up there with Arsenal's all-time greats.

Rice produced a man-of-the-match performance as Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Premier League at the weekend.

The 27-year-old set up the winning goal for Kai Havertz with a brilliant driving run and cross, and was crucial to frustrating the home side with a disciplined defensive performance.

Rice was the heartbeat of the Arsenal side as the North Londoners secured a first win at Anfield since September 2012, and in the process moved back to the top of the table.

Carragher believes there should be no arguments about who is the best midfielder in the division, and believes Rice is comparable to Arsenal greats Patrick Vieira and Liam Brady,

"Declan Rice. He's the best midfield player in the Premier League by a long way," Carragher said to Sky Sports.

"It's not even a debate. There was debate last season about him and Moises Caicedo, it's not even close. Declan Rice is the best midfield player in this country and sometimes I hear people speak about him, and I'm flabbergasted. It's like they don't understand football or they are not watching the same game as me.

"He's a world-class midfield player. There's absolutely no doubt about it. He's one of the best midfield players that Arsenal have ever had. They've had some great ones, Patrick Vieira, Liam Brady...he's right up there with the best of them."