Rice puts emotion aside as Arsenal chase title in must‐win return to relegation‐threatened West Ham
Rice puts emotion aside as Arsenal chase title in must‐win return to relegation‐threatened West Ham Declan Rice has warned there will be no room for sentiment when Arsenal face former club West Ham in a must-win Premier League clash this weekend. Arsenal travel to the London Stadium to take on a West Ham this weekend with the Premier League title in their sights. Manchester City's draw at Everton on Monday night means Arsenal's fate is back in their own hands.
The Gunners will be crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years with wins in their final three games. However, Mikel Arteta's team take on a West Ham side also in desperate need of the points. The Hammers dropped into the Premier League's relegation places at the weekend, following a 3-0 defeat at Brentford.
The result, coupled with Tottenham's 2-1 win at Aston Villa, leaves West Ham a point from safety. Rice, who made 245 appearances for West Ham before his transfer to Arsenal in 2023, has said it is 'not nice' to see the predicament of his former team. He praised the Hammers for giving him his 'chance' in football, but insisted he has a 'job to do' this weekend, regardless of the consequences.
"It's a club that gave me everything. Without West Ham, there's no me. I honestly believe that.
They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn't," Rice told Amazon Prime. "A lot of people there really did push me on. Moyes, Bilic, and Pellegrini made me captain.