Declan Rice Comments On Arsenal's Dominance Despite Narrow Win Over Tottenham In Derby

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Arsenal's Declan Rice expressed that the team was unfortunate not to score 10 goals against Tottenham during their north London derby win at the Emirates Stadium. Leandro Trossard's goal in the 44th minute secured a 2-1 victory for Arsenal, bringing them within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool. An own goal by Dominic Solanke helped Arsenal recover after Son Heung-min had given Spurs an early lead in the 25th minute.

Rice shared his thoughts with TNT Sports, stating, "You can tell that it meant more than anything. From the first minute. The first half was pure domination. We showed the intent, the pressure, the desire, you could tell it was a derby." He added, "I think we were probably unlucky that we didn't score 10 tonight. That is the feeling."

The Gunners dominated possession and created numerous chances throughout the match. Rice forced a save from Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the 73rd minute. Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, and Trossard also missed opportunities to extend Arsenal's lead. Meanwhile, Tottenham hit the woodwork through Pedro Porro during stoppage time in the second half.

Mikel Arteta's team finished with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.42 from 14 attempts, with only four shots on target. In contrast, Spurs managed two shots on target from their 10 attempts and recorded an xG of 0.83, extending their winless streak to five league matches.

Rice emphasised the importance of playing against Spurs: "When you play Spurs you know what it means to the fans. As a player, if you can't get up for Spurs, then you shouldn't be playing football. You need to have that fire in your belly." This victory marked Arsenal's fifth double over Tottenham in the Premier League era after also defeating them 1-0 in September.

The win puts pressure on Liverpool, who drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest but have a game in hand over Arsenal. Rice noted that securing three points was crucial and expressed hope for a strong run as this part of the season is vital.

Arteta Praises Team Performance

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team's performance: "We were outstanding. From the first minute we were really at it, really intense." He highlighted their purposeful play and ability to create an incredible atmosphere at home.

"When you have opportunities [to close the gap] you have to take them," Arteta told BBC Sport. His side is now on an impressive 11-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and will face Aston Villa next Saturday.