Midfield star Declan Rice has expressed the mental challenges of playing for Arsenal, where the expectation is to win every game. His remarks followed Arsenal’s tense victory over Leicester City, allowing them to tie with Premier League champions Manchester City on 14 points.
Under the management of former player Mikel Arteta, Arsenal has emerged as a strong competitor for the Premier League title. They have closely pursued Manchester City in recent seasons, finishing just five points behind them in 2022-23 and two points behind in 2023-24. The North London club is determined to secure their first Premier League title since 2003-04 but faces numerous physical and mental obstacles along the way.
Declan Rice Reflects on the Mental Challenges at Arsenal
Regarded as one of England’s top defensive midfielders, Rice has excelled since his move from West Ham United in 2023. While outwardly composed and prepared for any challenge, he admits to battling anxiety internally.
In an interview with football.london, Rice stated:
“Mentally it is tough. The anxiety is through the roof!
“You know the pressure of playing for Arsenal, you have to win every game. And if you want to win Premier Leagues and cups, compete at the top, you need to be at your best and you need to win – otherwise the pressure mounts.”
Leicester Test Arsenal’s Resilience
Arsenal secured a narrow 4-2 victory over Leicester City on Saturday, September 28, going 2-0 ahead with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Despite their strong start, James Justin’s brace quickly brought Leicester back into the game in the second half. Arsenal ultimately secured the win in injury time with goals from Wilfred Ndidi (own goal) and Kai Havertz.
“When that second goal went in for them [Leicester City], one thought is – we can’t lose this game, we have to keep going. In the end, it is kind of like a sigh of relief, because we won the game, we deserved to win the game,” Rice commented.
“That was probably the most comfortable we have been in the first half all season, in terms of passing the ball, dominating the ball. There are lots of positives to take, but still so much to improve on. As the season goes on, I am sure you are going to keep seeing the best of us.”
Arsenal is set to face Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 in the second round of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season, following a goalless draw with Atalanta on Matchday 1.
