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Declan Rice hasn't lost to Tottenham Hotspur since joining Arsenal from West Ham in July 2023
Declan Rice has revealed what Bukayo Saka first told him about the North London Derby, and it speaks volumes about the mentality at Arsenal. Since joining the Gunners from West Ham in a deal worth over £100milion back in the summer of 2023, the 27-year-old midfielder has relished the big occasion.
Rice had struggled to overcome Tottenham Hotspur during his time at the Hammers, winning just three of the 11 meetings in the Premier League. He had also only beaten the Lilywhites once in the first of three tries in the Carabao Cup.
But since swapping the London Stadium for the Emirates Stadium, the England international has had much more success. During his time at Arsenal, Rice has faced Spurs four times, winning three and drawing one.
While the midfielder will be keen to get another victory under his belt, Saka would seemingly settle for a draw if push came to shove. Shortly after joining the Gunners, the Hale End graduate gave Rice a short and sharp message.
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Speaking to The Sun, Rice recalled: "I remember Saka saying: ‘You can’t lose derbies here to Spurs’. For the fan base, everyone, the players, the staff – that’s the game you can’t lose."
While Arsenal certainly can't afford to lose against Tottenham with Manchester City in their rear-view mirror, a win would – and has always been – far more valuable. The winger's comment perhaps speaks volumes about the mentality under Mikel Arteta: the Gunners would rather draw than do whatever it takes to bank three points.
Such a mentality has already proven costly. Under the Spaniard, Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League three years in a row, with their only major piece of silverware being the FA Cup in an empty Wembley Stadium during Covid in 2020.
Manchester City capitalised on the Gunners' conservative approach during the 2023/24 campaign when they won the Premier League title by just two points. After lifting the trophy for a fourth season in a row, Rodri recalled Arsenal's particularly poignant visit to the Etihad Stadium which ended goalless.
During an interview with Optus Sport, the midfielder was asked how his side continue to achieve such success. As quoted by Sky Sports, pointing to his head, Rodri said: "To be honest, I think it's in here.
"It's the mentality. Arsenal, also they deserve [to win the league], they did an unbelievable season, but I think the difference was in here [pointing to his head again].
"When they came here, they faced us at the Etihad, I saw them and said: 'Ah, these guys, they don't want to beat us, they just want a draw.' And that mentality, I don't think we would do it the same way.
"And we caught them. At the end, if you give us one point, we will win the last seven, eight games even though it's so tough. So I think it comes down to mentality."
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