"This is the price of playing for such a club" - Declan Rice responds to critics of Arsenal's playing style

London Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has calmly responded to the growing wave of criticism regarding the Gunners' playing style.

Details: Recently, Mikel Arteta's team has often been accused of excessive pragmatism, but one of the squad's leaders is confident that all the noise surrounding the club is simply inevitable.

“Ever since I joined Arsenal, the media buzz hasn't died down for even a week. That's what comes with playing for such a big club,” Rice stated.

• See also: Newcastle United vs Manchester City: prediction, head-to-head and probable lineups – March 7, 2026

In the player's opinion, members of top teams must ignore outside noise.

Declan stressed that in modern football, it's impossible to please everyone at once:

“People will like or dislike certain aspects of your game... That's why we have to focus on ourselves. The most important thing is to win.”

Rice made it clear that results now take precedence over aesthetics for Arsenal, especially at this decisive stage of the season.

It's worth noting that at the moment, Arsenal are already seven points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League, though the Citizens still have a game in hand.

Reminder: Arsenal set a record: Mikel Arteta fielded two 16-year-olds in the starting lineup