Moises Caicedo took the plaudits in Chelsea’s victory over Liverpool, but Danny Murphy believes another midfielder pips him in the overall debate.

Caicedo played a starring role as the Blues ran out 2-1 winners in a thriller at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, scoring a stunning opener before having a hand in his side’s last-gasp winner.

Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian won the match in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but it was the Ecuadorian who started the move with a fine pass to bypass the Liverpool press.

This was the latest in the string of impressive displays from Caicedo, while he also came out on top in a hotly-anticipated midfield battle.

The 23-year-old was dominant as he took on another of the league’s standout performers in Ryan Gravenberch, and their clash has sparked plenty of debate in the talkSPORT studio.

Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester City star Rodri make up a quartet of elite defensive midfielders in the top-flight, with the former also netting in his side’s victory over West Ham.

Meanwhile, Rodri’s exploits saw him win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, before an ACL injury ruled him out for the majority of last season.

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With plenty to consider, it made for a serious debate when former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy and football writer Darren Lewis debated just who comes out on top.

Is Caicedo the best midfielder in the Premier League?

Murphy heaped praise on Caicedo for his recent displays, which have forced him into the equation among the very best in his position.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Kick Off, he began: “Caicedo’s been outstanding.”

When asked if his recent form made him the best midfielder in the league, Murphy replied: “He’s in the conversation.

“For me Gravenberch, Rice, Caicedo – those three come to mind straight away. They’ve all got a little bit different attributes.

Caicedo’s all-round game has impressed Murphy, and his Premier League stats show exactly why

“In terms of an all-round midfielder – the thing is Caicedo’s kind of changed people’s view a little bit.”

Explaining his view, Murphy highlighted Caicedo’s improved output this term, who has found the net three times in the Premier League this season, two more than his entire tally last term.

The ex-Brighton man also stands out in defensive contributions, as he leads the way in most tackles in the league.

The former England midfielder said: “In the last three weeks, he’s scored two worldies – one at Brentford, and the one against Liverpool.

“I think up until then his goals tally was pretty damn dismal: Because a lot of people were saying he doesn’t create.

“And he’s not a creative passer – he’s not going get it out of his feet and split open a defence.

“Gravenberch can do that a bit more, Declan [Rice] can do that a little bit, but they’ve all got these wonderful qualities – they’re all tenacious, they’re all strong.”

‘I’d still have Gravenberch ahead of him’
While Caicedo came out on top on Saturday, Murphy still believes Gravenberch leads the way overall out of the above trio.

Delivering his final verdict, Murphy said: “For me, although he’s [Caicedo] playing probably the best at the moment, as a holding midfielder, I’d still have Gravenberch ahead of him.”

After playing a starring role in Liverpool’s title win last term, Gravenberch has taken his game to the next level this season, scoring and assisting twice in his opening six league games.

With two goals and two assists this season, the Dutchman has already equalled his goal contributions for the whole of the 2024/25 campaign, where he provided four assists in 49 games in all competitions.

Where does Rodri come into this?

Despite focusing on Rice, Caicedo and Gravenberch, both Murphy and Lewis were in no doubt which player comes out on top on their day.

When asked where a fully fit Rodri ranks out of the quartet, Murphy replied: “Rodri is better than all of them. Levels [above].

“For a couple of years, two or three seasons, Rodri’s levels were nothing short of magnificent.”

Rodri was Man City’s key player during their 2022/23 European treble win, even scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final from defensive midfield.

He also went 74 games unbeaten for club and country, setting a new professional record, which helped earn him the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Highlighting his importance, Murphy said: “When people talk about how brilliant he’s been, the other thing that people forget – he came into City to replace arguably one of the best holding midfield players, Fernandinho, that we’d seen in the Premier League for 20 years.

“That pressure to take over from him – because he was an amazing player as well.”

Rodri’s influence on his team was clear during his absence, with City failing to win a trophy without him last season.

Since his return, he has been in and out of the City team, playing six out of a possible nine games this season, and was most recently ruled out for two-three weeks after being forced off with a hamstring issue against Brentford on Sunday.

And Lewis admitted that City cannot afford for another long-term injury to their star man if they are to challenge for titles again.

He said: “He hasn’t got to his best yet. He’s still finding his form and his fitness.

“And if it was anything more serious than a hamstring injury, that could have been it for another season for them because he’s that influential, even his presence is influential.”