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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice shared his thoughts on the mental challenge for players while challenging for a Premier League title. He asserted the need to deal with pressure and always look to win despite it being mentally tough.
The Gunners welcomed Leicester City to the Emirates in their latest Premier League clash on Saturday, September 28. They led 2-0 via goals from Gabriel Martinelli (20') and Leandro Trossard (45+1') at halftime. However, the visitors restored parity courtesy of a brace from James Justin (47', 63').
Just when it looked like it might end up in a draw, Trossard forced an own goal from Wilfred Ndidi from a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Kai Havertz then added another five minutes later to help secure a 4-2 win for Arsenal.
After the game, Declan Rice spoke about the mental toughness it requires to challenge for the Premier League title, saying (via Football.London):
“Mentally it is tough. The anxiety is through the roof! You know the pressure of playing for Arsenal, you have to win every game. And if you want to win Premier Leagues and cups, compete at the top, you need to be at your best and you need to win - otherwise the pressure mounts."
“So when that second goal went in for them today, one thought is - we can’t lose this game, we have to keep going. At the end it is kind of like a sigh of relief, because we won the game, we deserved to win the game."
The Gunners are still unbeaten this season and sit third in the Premier League table with four wins and two draws. They are a point behind leaders Liverpool and behind Manchester City on goal difference.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's win after Manchester City dropped points
Arsenal and Manchester City have competed for the Premier League title in the last two seasons, with City coming out on top both times. They both have four wins and two draws in six league matches this season. They played out a 2-2 draw at the Etihad on September 22.
Manchester City then played out a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Saturday, September 28. The Gunners secured a 4-2 win over Leicester later that day. When asked about City's result after the game, Mikel Arteta said (via Arsenal.com):
"It’s the sixth game in the Premier League. We are in September, so we want to win every game and do our best to do that, and that’s it. Let’s go game by game and try to improve every week."
The Gunners will next host Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 1.
