Arsenal star Declan Rice sends warning to West Ham ahead of crucial Premier League clash
© Imago / APL
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has issued a warning to his former side, West Ham United, ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the London Stadium.
Rice played the full duration of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, as Arsenal claimed a 1-0 victory on the night and a 2-1 aggregate win thanks to Bukayo Saka’s decisive effort.
The Gunners can now look forward to playing in their first Champions League final since 2006 when they take on either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest later this month.
While Arsenal are dreaming of winning their first Champions League trophy, Rice was quick to turn his focus towards the club’s Premier League title battle with Manchester City.
Rice has a “job to do” against West Ham
Rice, who won the Conference League with West Ham in 2023, admitted that there will be no time for sentimentalism when the Gunners take on the relegation-threatened Hammers on Sunday.
“It’s all to play for but we’ve got to stay composed and focused,” Rice told Amazon Prime Video after Tuesday’s semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
“It’s a tough one because we’re into the Champions League final but Sunday is a massive one as well (against West Ham in the Premier League).”
“Without West Ham there is no me. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t. It’s not nice to see the position they are in.
“It is football and I have a job to do on Sunday. It is the business end of the season.”
No room for mercy in title race
Rice will ideally want his former club, who are currently a point adrift from safety, to prevail in their battle to avoid relegation.
However, he is right that he has to focus on himself and Arsenal’s objective, even if it is to the detriment of the club he represented on 245 occasions.
Arsenal have to be ruthless in their bid to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, especially as they have control of their destiny following Manchester City’s 3-3 draw with Everton.
Rice demonstrated that ruthlessness in October’s reverse fixture against the Hammers, where he scored the opener in a 2-0 success for Mikel Arteta’s side – the second goal he has scored against his former club since his move to north London in 2023.
The Gunners boast a five-point lead over the Citizens, who have a game in hand and could reduce the gap to two points in Saturday’s meeting with Brentford.
Written by
Ben Sully