Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes joined the footballing world in praising Declan Rice after the Arsenal midfielder celebrated his 300th Premier League appearance during a commanding 4-0 win over Leeds United. Mikel Arteta’s squad silenced the Elland Road crowd with a clinical performance that effectively revived their championship aspirations following a dry spell of three matches without a victory.
The result carries extra weight as it ended a resilient run for Leeds United, who had suffered only a single defeat in their previous 11 league outings.
The league leaders established their dominance in the 27th minute when Martin Zubimendi converted a sharp header to open the scoring. Pressure from the visitors soon forced an error from Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow, who inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to double Arsenal’s advantage before the interval. Viktor Gyokeres continued his prolific scoring streak by netting his fourth goal in six games to extinguish any thoughts of a Leeds fightback, while Gabriel Jesus added a late fourth to complete the rout. This victory initially propelled Arsenal seven points clear at the summit, though Manchester City later trimmed that lead to six points following a 2-2 stalemate against Tottenham Hotspur.
The milestone served as a personal triumph for Rice, who transitioned from a West Ham United academy graduate into a world-class anchor at the Emirates Stadium. Having commanded a transfer fee exceeding £100 million, the England international has now spent roughly two-thirds of his top-flight career with the Hammers before reaching this elite landmark in North London. After the final whistle, Rice took to social media to reflect on his journey, prompting a succinct tribute from his Manchester United rival.
In a show of sportsmanship between the two club captains, Bruno Fernandes responded to Rice’s celebratory post by simply writing: “Class.”
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