Manager Declan Rice has insisted Arsenal are ready to erase the wounds of their Carabao Cup final defeat by making a “huge statement” in what he described as the “ultimate test” against Man City at the Etihad on Sunday.
A week after Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner in the first leg in Portugal, the Gunners drew 0-0 against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates, securing their place in the last four of the Champions League for the second year in a row for the first time in the club’s history, and will now face Atletico Madrid for a place in the final.
But before that, Arsenal are aiming for a Premier League victory against Manchester City, live on Sky Sports on Sunday, as they look to strengthen their bid for a first Premier League title in 22 years.
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And after losing to City in the Carabao Cup at Wembley last month, Rice insisted his side were ready for a showdown with Josep Guardiola’s side.
“It’s beautiful,” Rice said during Sunday’s game at the Etihad. “I can’t wait. That’s why we play.
“When you watch games as a kid, and when you watch the Premier League as a kid, you see these big matches, these title-defining moments, and it comes down to whether you’re ready or not and how much you want it.
“Obviously they’ve been doing really well lately, nobody’s going to give you anything in this league.
There’s been a lot of noise, but at the end of the day, it’s up to us, the players. That’s why we are professionals. That’s why we play this game, and yes, it would be a big statement to go out there and win.
“The players are ready. We talked as a group and we know what it takes. Let’s do it.”
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Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth summed up the best reactions as Arsenal drew 0-0 at home with Sporting to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals.
On the pain of watching Man City win the Carabao Cup final and wanting to reverse that result, Rice added: “It hurts to lose in the final.”
“We had to show them respect. We shared the pitch for 90 minutes and in the end they were the better team that day. It would have been wrong for us to go in and not show that respect.”
“It really hurt to see them lift it. There’s that fire in your stomach to stamp it out on the weekend.
“We have six games left in the Premier League and we know how big this game is. It’s the ultimate test but that’s why we’re playing this game. Let’s get on with it.”
Rice is fully fit for the match against City
There was a big question as to whether Rice would play against Sporting, but he has recovered enough from his illness to play the full game.
The England midfielder, who was named captain for the game, dismissed concerns about his fitness ahead of the match against City.
“I’m perfectly healthy,” Rice said. Yes, I have been feeling unwell for the past two days. I’m sick and in bed. Obviously he made sure he was well enough to play in the morning to play against Sporting.
“I wasn’t 100 percent, but there was no way I was going to miss the quarterfinals to help this team and get to the semifinals. I was healthy enough to go out and play.”
“But yes, it was just a little bit of an illness and it’s gone now and will last until Sunday.”
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Declan Rice says he can’t wait for Arsenal to play Manchester City and wants to make a “big statement” with a win.
Manager Mikel Arteta revealed after the match that his players had chosen Rice as captain as Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were absent, along with Julian Timber and Riccardo Calafioli.
Asked if he considered himself a great leader for the team, Rice said: “Yes, definitely. We want those guys back. We need them back.”
“Those are three of our biggest and best players, and we’ve missed them a lot this year in big games. But if the game had been yesterday, I probably wouldn’t have been able to play, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to play the day before.”
“But the fact that I was healthy enough to play, I knew in myself and in my head that I was ready to go out and play. That’s what it means to play for this club under any circumstances. I’m glad I was able to do that tonight and the game was over.”
Neville: Rice needs to step up against City
Meanwhile, Gary Neville believes Rice needs to make a big impact against City on Sunday if Arsenal are to succeed at the Etihad, but Roy Keane is not convinced the 27-year-old has it.
“I think Declan Rice is someone… I was disappointed when he went to Arsenal for £100m. I think he’s a Manchester United player,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast.
“He’s a Harry Kane, a Declan Rice, a player Manchester United would have always signed at the time. We can’t let Declan Rice go to another club. He’s a player who can win the league.”
“For me on Sunday, he’s a player to watch. It’s not that I’m putting any pressure on him. I’m hoping this is a Roy Keane moment, a Gerrard moment.”
I don’t think Rice is the winner. I don’t think he can do something as great as Kevin De Bruyne and win games.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes
“He’s a powerful player on the pitch and the only player on the pitch that I think can take control of the game and make a difference from an attacking and defensive point of view.
“That’s what I want to see from him on Sunday.”
But Keane said: “He’s a good player but I don’t think he can attract people.
“It means fighting and challenging people in the dressing room.
“I want him to challenge people. There was the game against Bournemouth and other games where things didn’t go well, but I don’t see him challenging people.
“His performance is great, but it’s not enough.”
‘Rice remains Arsenal’s true leader’
Oliver Yu on Sky Sports:
Martin Odegaard remains captain in name only, but Rice is now Arsenal’s undisputed leader.
It was a perfect example of that this week when he rose from his sick bed to lead the Gunners to their first-ever back-to-back Champions League semi-finals.
He wasn’t 100% and it was clear that he was far from his best against Sporting, but he never stopped running for the cause and appeared exhausted at full time.
His hard work and desire to push his body to its limits was not lost on his team-mates, with Arteta revealing that his players voted for him to wear the captain’s armband against Bournemouth and Sporting.
And while Gabriel Magalhães would normally be next in line in the absence of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, Rice’s promotion signals a decisive change in Arsenal’s leadership.
There is an argument that the captaincy is not necessary for Rice to provide leadership for the Gunners, but with Odegaard’s fitness issues showing no signs of going away, Rice continues to show that he would be the ideal replacement if a captaincy change were to occur.
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