Declan Rice has revealed that Mikel Arteta challenged him to raise his game even further at the start of the season — and the midfielder is already delivering.
Rice’s fifth Premier League assist of the campaign set up Kai Havertz for the only goal in Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-0 victory at Anfield on Sunday, ending the Gunners’ 14-year wait for a league win on Merseyside and sending them top of the table.
“I think the manager had a really honest conversation with me at the start of the season and still thinks I can do more in this shirt and for this club,” Rice told Sky Sports. “This season so far I’ve been feeling really good. We spoke about overlaps before this game and I spoke to Havertz about attacking the box with real aggression and he was there.”
The win leaves Arsenal with eight victories and one defeat from their opening nine league matches. Rice, however, refused to get carried away by the early table position.
“I’ve learned that the table you can only take it seriously in February, March,” he said. “If you’re there, or thereabouts, then you are in with a shout. Anything between now and then, you just have to win as many as you can.”
Rice praised Arsenal’s defensive resilience in the face of Liverpool’s constant pressure. The hosts failed to register a single shot on target — the first time that has happened in a Premier League home game in their history.
“It’s demanding,” Rice admitted. “That’s the Anfield way. This stadium just creates waves and waves of attack and you have to sustain it, especially with the quality they’ve got. We’ve not won here in 14 years. In the end that defensive line, the way we stick together, that togetherness we have… it’s nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
Havertz was delighted to give Arsenal supporters a long-awaited moment of joy. “It means a lot to the football club,” the German said. “It’s been 14 years. That’s what the fans deserve.”
He also reserved special praise for Rice’s contribution: “Ninety percent of the goal belongs to this man. Today he was there, brilliant overlap and perfect cross. For me it was an easy tap-in. That goal definitely belongs to him.”