Declan Rice rubs salt in Tottenham wounds with brutal verdict on Arsenal win

Declan Rice rubs salt in Tottenham wounds with brutal verdict on Arsenal win

Declan Rice expressed frustration that Arsenal couldn’t extend their lead in their 2-1 win over Tottenham in the north London derby, despite having multiple opportunities to do so.

Rice suggested that Arsenal “were unlucky not to score ten” goals after they narrowly edged past their rivals, completing the double over Tottenham. Leandro Trossard’s first-half goal proved to be the match-winner after Arsenal fought back from a goal down. Tottenham maintained their typical attacking style, but it cost them when they gave the ball away in their own half, leading to Arsenal’s second goal. The Gunners capitalized on the space left by their opponents in the second half, creating several more chances.

Tottenham’s defensive frailties have been a concern throughout the season, with manager Ange Postecoglou’s side keeping just one clean sheet in their last nine matches. Rice was particularly disappointed that Arsenal only found the net twice despite their dominance.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Rice said, “You could tell tonight meant more than anything. The first 45 minutes was pure dominance. We showed intent, pressure, and desire. To be honest, we’re unlucky we didn’t score ten, that’s the feeling.”

Reflecting on the derby atmosphere, he added, “You don’t need a message when you play Spurs – you know what it means to the fans. If you’re a player and you can’t get up for Spurs, then you shouldn’t be playing football. That fire in your belly, we had that tonight.”

He acknowledged that while Tottenham had some chances in the second half, Arsenal could have scored several more goals. “To win is the most important thing, and hopefully, we can now go on a run,” Rice concluded.

Trossard shared Rice’s thoughts, lamenting the team’s missed opportunities to add more goals, with Martin Ødegaard among those guilty of squandering big chances. The lack of clinical finishing has been a recurring issue for Arsenal, fueling discussions about the need for a striker.

Trossard said, “It’s an amazing feeling [to score], especially when it ends up being the winner. I’m just happy for everyone. We work so hard every day.”

He added, “Now we need to look forward and build on it. The hardest thing in football is putting the ball in the net. I think we could have scored more today, but we’re happy with the three points.”