Rice backs Kane for Ballon d'Or as Merino labelled rusty on Arsenal return

Arsenal claimed a 1-0 Champions League victory at Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday, with Martin Odegaard’s second-half strike — his fourth goal of the season — settling the contest and continuing the Gunners’ strong start to their European campaign.

The result came with a notable subplot off the pitch, as midfielder Declan Rice revealed he is backing England team-mate Harry Kane to win the Ballon d’Or rather than himself. Rice was nominated for the award alongside Arsenal team-mates William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes after the club won the Premier League title last season.

“Yeah for sure, second year in a row nominated, it’s obviously really good, I’m really proud,” Rice said after the final whistle. “Obviously I know who I want to win it — I’d love to see Harry Kane win it, so I’m wishing him all the best in that. Kane has never won the Ballon d’Or, but this is surely as good a chance as he’s going to get.”

Kane, now at Bayern Munich, is among the frontrunners for the award after scoring 61 goals for the club and helping secure a second consecutive Bundesliga title. Rice’s public endorsement of a former Tottenham captain is unlikely to go unnoticed among sections of the Arsenal fanbase.

On the pitch, Mikel Merino made his first start of the season against Napoli, playing 65 minutes before being withdrawn. The Spanish midfielder had returned late to pre-season after winning the World Cup with David Raya and Martin Zubimendi, and had featured only as a substitute in Arsenal’s three Premier League fixtures, accumulating just 46 minutes of action.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown offered a measured verdict on Merino’s showing. “I thought Mikel Merino coming back into midfield missed an opportunity tonight,” Keown said. “We missed him last season but I thought he was a little rusty on his first start for a while. But overall it’s looking good for Arsenal.”

Arteta’s side will be encouraged by the clean sheet and the result in Naples, with the club aiming to go further in the Champions League this season after losing the final to Paris Saint-Germain in May.