Arsenal are no better than Everton when playing without their best player, according to talkSPORT host, Adrian Durham.

The Gunners are the reigning Premier League champions, though as they did at various stages last season, they’ve looked limited in attack at times this season.

The lack of a superstar-calibre forward is notable, with Arsenal rarely able to blow teams away.

And according to talkSPORT’s outspoken Adrian Durham, Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t all that different to David Moyes’ hard-working but limited Everton, when playing without Declan Rice.

Durham made those comments in response to Arsenal’s shock League Cup exit at the hands of Fleetwood Town in midweek.

He stated on Friday: “I started to wonder what went wrong for Arsenal because they had a lot of chances, they had a lot of the ball,”

“On the balance of play, 59 touches in the opposition box. Not that many shots on target (7), a couple of great saves from the [Fleetwood] keeper.

“You could look at [Kai] Havertz and [Viktor] Gyokeres who both started. Gyokeres got a goal but it was really scrappy. He didn’t know too much about it.

“Neither of them performed particularly well but I was thinking, how can this happen? This miracle.

“It’s the preserve of English football cup competitions that the champions, who took PSG all the way to penalties, go to a side in the bottom half of League Two that aren’t very good.

“They haven’t got particularly good players, lost to Exeter at the weekend, lost at home to Rochdale a few weeks ago and this side knocked Arsenal out of the cup. How can it happen?

“I had a look at the Arsenal make-up and there’s one man that I thought was key to everything and it’s just enhanced his reputation even more by being there. And that is Declan Rice.”

Arsenal just a jumped-up Everton without Declan Rice

Durham went on to add: “My hot take this week is that fundamentally, without Declan Rice, Arsenal become Everton. That’s what happens.

“There’s some good players at Arsenal and there’s some good players at Everton. It’s not necessarily the biggest insult in the world,

“Everton are trying to get to the European places; they’re not a relegation team anymore but without Declan Rice, Arsenal are basically Everton.

“You see, Declan Rice is underrated. If you look at his numbers they are absolutely phenomenal. His assist rate in the Premier League this season is incredible.

“If you look at his assists since he got to Arsenal they are amazing. His goal involvements, 50 plus inside three and a bit seasons.

“For a central midfielder who’s not always in advanced positions the ground he covers, the knowledge of the game, the running of the game.

“Everything about him is world class and we’ve been underrating him for a long time.

“So in a week where we’ve had a Ballon d’Or winner in Harry Kane and in a week where Jude Bellingham produced an amazing bit of skill to get a winner for Real Madrid, we’ve got some great English players.

“Declan Rice is right up there with them and I think without him, Arsenal lack something seriously needed in their team and in their midfield.”