Declan Rice makes honest admission after Arsenal’s dramatic late goal
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice admitted that his side struggled to break down Manchester City in their 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
The Gunners went behind early when Erling Haaland struck in the ninth minute. The forward latched onto a clever pass from Tijani Reijnders and finished past David Raya.
Arsenal kept possession after conceding but struggled to find a way through Pep Guardiola’s defence. Despite their pressure, clear chances were limited until the closing stages of the match.
Martinelli makes the difference
Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench and grabbed the equaliser late on. His strike arrived after sustained Arsenal pressure deep into the second half.
Rice was quick to highlight the winger’s impact, praising him for delivering once again in a crucial game.
“Since I’ve come to the club, even before I’ve come, he [Martinelli] has always delivered in big moments, the amount of times he’s scoring in big games.”
Rice also admired the Brazilian’s attitude, stressing his desire to make a difference when introduced from the bench.
“A lot of players can talk if they get put on the bench but every time he comes in, he shows his desire.”
He continued by underlining Martinelli’s composure in front of goal.
“The run and finish – it’s unbelievable at that stage of the game. To have that composure, he really deserves it.”
Rice reflects on the contest
Arsenal controlled much of the match after going behind but failed to create enough clear openings. Rice admitted that City defended strongly but still felt his side merited the point.
“So even though we didn’t win, I thought we finally deserved it because we dominated today and played really, really well.
We just couldn’t break them down. Fair play to them. But Martinelli, he’s come on and produced a moment of magic. So we’re happy with that.”
The draw leaves Arsenal in second place in the Premier League table, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool. Rice insisted the performance showed progress, even if the breakthrough was difficult to find.
Arsenal will look to build on this result as the title race continues. For Rice, the spirit shown against a strong City side remains a positive sign moving forward.
The post Declan Rice makes honest admission after Arsenal’s dramatic late goal first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.