Declan Rice has been speaking Arsenal’s trophy hopes and the England midfielder shared renewed belief they can get over the line and win something this season.
Rice also talked about how he’s had to ‘up his game’ over the last few months after a slow start to the season, and how his teammates have nicknamed him ‘The Horse’ due to his incredible engine and covering so much ground.
“There’s still a really long way to go,” Rice told our partners in the UK at Sky Sports. “The manager said in a press conference the other week, no matter what, the only thing we can worry about is ourselves. But at the end of the season, we will be there.
“We can only keep believing in what we believe in, work on what we’re working on and have full trust in the manager, players and everyone around us that we can achieve great things. It’s down to us to get that over the line. Big things are coming. We need to stay positive and keep going.”
Is Rice/Partey/Odegaard trio key to Arsenal’s trophy hopes?
Arsenal are six points behind Liverpool (who have a game in-hand) in the Premier League title race and they’re safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League.
We know how solid Arsenal’s defensive unit is, with Gabriel and Saliba at the heart of it and Raya steady in goal.
But with injuries to key attackers and a lack of options up front, is it the midfield trio of Rice, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey who will actually decide if the Gunners are going to win something this season?
That trio dominated Manchester City in the recent 5-1 hammering and Rice (who was player of the match) and Partey provide so much industry and cohesiveness alongside the playmaking talents of Odegaard. That trio dovetail so well and if they stay fit, Arsenal will hang around in the hunt for the Premier League and Champions League trophies until the end of the season.
They’ll then need a bit of luck with injuries and for Bukayo Saka to hit the ground running when he returns in the coming weeks, but it’s that midfield engine performing efficiently and ruthlessly which is the key factor for Arsenal’s trophy hopes.
