Declan Rice revealed the extraordinary measures he took to manage his anxiety as Arsenal waited for Manchester City to falter in their bid to deny the Gunners the Premier League title. The England midfielder couldn't bear to watch the decisive clash between City and Bournemouth unfold on television, instead choosing to physically distance himself from the tension gripping his teammates at London Colney.
Rice's coping mechanism was unconventional: he enlisted security guard Pete for company and embarked on what Bukayo Saka later joked amounted to approximately 12 laps around the training ground. "We were just chatting about the most random stuff," Rice explained to Sky Sports. "And then we hear the roar, so we come back in for the first goal. I was like, same again. And then on the way I was like, 'I'm telling everyone, sit back in the same spot and all this'. And then literally come back in five minutes to go and it was done, but I just couldn't watch it."
Emotional Release After 22 Years
For Rice, who arrived at Arsenal in 2023, securing the club's first Premier League title in 22 years carried profound emotional weight. He acknowledged the significance for long-serving academy products like Saka, who joined the club as a child. "It's been 22 years," Rice reflected. "He's been here since the start. For him, God knows how he must feel, because it's Arsenal legend stuff now for me."
The midfielder harboured quiet confidence about Arsenal's trajectory before the final day drama unfolded. "I knew we'd win. I just knew before. I just felt something good about this club, about these players, and where the players were headed in terms of the trajectory," he stated. "I knew one way or another we was going to win at some point, and it's come in the most beautiful way."
The celebrations extended beyond the training ground into the early hours, with players making an impromptu pilgrimage to Emirates Stadium. Saka described the spontaneous gathering of supporters still awake to celebrate: "Crazy, crazy. The whole night was special, from the training ground to the night out. For me, I didn't really want to sleep. I didn't need sleep." With the Premier League trophy secured before the final day against Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta's side now targets a historic double in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
