Declan Rice proved to be the difference between Newcastle United and Arsenal.
The England midfielder scored the only goal of the game, as Newcastle lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday.
The result means that the Magpies must wait until the final day of the season to qualify for the Champions League. The pressure is on against Everton, but Alan Shearer believes Newcastle fans would have taken this situation.
Eddie Howe’s side remain in a strong position, while they have been in excellent form ever since winning the Carabao Cup.
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Declan Rice pays tribute to Newcastle United
That is the view of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who praised the Magpies after beating them at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old spoke to Sky Sports after the final whistle, revealing what Mikel Arteta told his players after previously losing three games in a row to Newcastle United.
“We’ve been poor by our standards the last few weeks in the Premier League,” he said.
“We obviously went so hard in the Champions League that our form dropped in the Premier League. That happens sometimes.
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“Newcastle are such an in-form side. We’ve lost three games to them this year. The manager’s message before the game was clear – take it personal. I think we did.”
"About time I started scoring frequently" 😅
Declan Rice reacts after scoring the winner against Newcastle 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/tdLNJTsU5K
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 18, 2025
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Key injury hurt Newcastle United against Arsenal
As Rice says, Newcastle have beaten Arsenal three times this season.
It could have been four had it not been for Alexander Isak’s injury.
The 25-year-old was not involved against the Gunners, missing out due to a slight groin problem. Isak could undergo surgery this summer, as the club aim to fix a problem that has plagued the Swede for a while.
In Isak’s absence, Newcastle could not find a way past David Raya. The Arsenal goalkeeper was in inspired form, making a flurry of wonderful saves to deny Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes and Harvey Barnes.
Callum Wilson was disappointing against Arsenal, having come into the side in place of Isak. The 33-year-old barely had a sniff of goal, before being replaced by Will Osula in the 64th minute.
While it might not be this simplistic, there has to be a feeling that Newcastle United could have got a positive result against Arsenal had any of their chances fallen to Isak.
Unfortunately, that was not possible, as Newcastle fans wait to discover if he will be fit to face Everton on the final day of the season.