Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice believes the club’s 1-1 stalemate against Brentford on Thursday night could carry significant weight in the final Premier League standings. The league leaders initially seized the advantage at the Gtech Community Stadium through a Noni Madueke header early in the second half, but the hosts fought back just ten minutes later as Keane Lewis-Potter secured an equalizer. This result, coupled with Manchester City’s clinical 3-0 victory over Fulham on Wednesday, narrows the gap at the top of the table to just four points.
The England international used his post-match interview to praise the tactical discipline of a Brentford side currently positioned seventh in the division. Rice acknowledged that the Gunners prepared specifically for the physical and organized approach favored by Bees manager Keith Andrews. While the visitors dropped two points, Rice remains focused on the broader success of Arsenal’s current campaign, which features a remarkably low tally of just three losses across all competitive fixtures this season.
“We weren’t naive to think that this was going to be a pushover. They’re an amazing team, they’re seventh in the league and Keith Andrews has got them playing really, really well. They’re so effective at how they play, and we prepared for that. We knew what was coming. It might be a valuable point towards the end. The only thing we can do is just keep worrying about ourselves like we’ve been doing. We’ve been on an amazing run this season, the performances have been incredible. If you look at the amount of games we’ve played and how many we’ve won, we’ve lost three in all competitions all season,” Rice stated.
As the title race intensifies, Arsenal enters a high-pressure stretch that includes an FA Cup tie against Wigan followed by a crucial North London derby against Tottenham. Rice’s emphasis on maintaining internal focus suggests a calm dressing room atmosphere despite the shrinking lead over the defending champions. The squad now turns its attention to defensive set-piece preparation, an area where Brentford found success on Thursday, to ensure no further slip-ups occur in the coming weeks.
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