David Moyes believes the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal is to blame for West Ham United’s heavy away defeats this season.

West Ham United suffered another heavy Premier League defeat at the weekend, losing 5-0 to an inconsistent Chelsea side.

The Hammers lost 5-2 to Crystal Palace in their previous away game, and they’ve also had bad away defeats to Aston Villa, Fulham, and Manchester United this season, among others.

When questioned on that away record, David Moyes suggested Declan Rice’s departure was behind it.

“Declan Rice,” Moyes said when asked to explain West Ham’s away defeats.

“When you’ve got the best midfield player in the country protecting, probably limiting 50 per cent of their attacks it makes you much a better defensive team.”

Arsenal certainly seem to have reaped the rewards of the acquisition of Rice, with the Gunners recently going six away games in a row without conceding a goal.

That run only ended away to Tottenham Hotspur, and it took a significant individual error to finally breach the Gunners’ net.

The 25-year-old has also directly contributed to 17 goals for Arsenal at the other end, with seven goals and 10 assists.

Rice has gone on to be named the runner-up for the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award, with his impressive performances recognised by journalists across the country.

Whether Rice could have prevented West Ham’s defensive issues this season on his own is something we’ll never really know. But Moyes certainly seems convinced that’s the problem.