Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice says that he sensed the Gunners would clinch the Premier League crown following their defeat to Man City. The England international enjoyed a FaceTime conversation with Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell mere hours after the title was mathematically secured.
That moment arrived courtesy of a 1-1 stalemate between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday evening. The final whistle triggered jubilant celebrations amongst the Arsenal players, who had assembled at the training ground to watch proceedings unfold.
It’s been a campaign full of drama and uncertainty, with City appearing to seize control of the race when they defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium just last month. Yet a 3-3 stalemate against Everton handed Arsenal’s destiny back into their own grasp.
Arsenal capitalised by claiming victory in every Premier League fixture since that setback against City.
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Co-host Steve Sidwell contacted Rice via FaceTime on that Peter Crouch Podcast, the day following the title triumph, with the Arsenal midfielder picking up.
“I’m going to play nine holes now, I’m sat at home thinking I’ve got to go out, I’ve got to go and play some golf,” he said.
View 2 ImagesDeclan Rice spoke on FaceTime just hours after being crowned a Premier League champion with Arsenal.(Image: That Peter Crouch Podcast. )
When questioned whether he had slept, he said: “I went to bed for a few hours but that’s it. I can’t believe it, it don’t feel real.
“Honestly it’s not sunk in, it won’t sink in for ages, but yeah, incredible.”
He was then quizzed on his emotions. “It’s mad because when you’re in a season all you think is obviously with all the small narrow losses we’ve had throughout the last few years,” he said.
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“You just think it cannot happen again, and after leading for such a long way, it’s obviously in the back of your mind, with then obviously how good City have been, and how good they are we think bloody hell.
“But we knew once we lost at Man City away, we knew still like, we took so much from that day, we were like ‘we’re still going to do it, we still believe,’ so we’re just buzzing, we’re just buzzing.”
The celebrations will roll on for Arsenal this weekend, as they are set to lift the Premier League trophy following their final fixture of the campaign against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.