David Moyes, the manager of West Ham, has attributed his team’s poor away performances to the departure of Declan Rice.
Last summer, Rice made a move to Arsenal for a significant fee of £105m.
The English midfielder has played a crucial role in Arsenal’s pursuit of the title this season.
In their recent 3-0 victory over Bournemouth, Rice scored a goal, provided an assist, and was awarded the man of the match.
However, just a day later, Moyes witnessed his team suffer a devastating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
Addressing West Ham’s struggles this season, Moyes commented: “Declan Rice.
“Having the best midfield player in the country who can potentially neutralize 50 percent of their attacks makes you a stronger defensive unit.
“We have been lacking defensive protection in front of the back four, inadequate defending, and have not displayed sufficient quality in these aspects in many matches.”