Declan Rice reflected on a 1-0 win for Arsenal against Newcastle United that took the team back to the top of the Premier League table and put the pressure back on Manchester City in the run-in.
‘We know what to expect’
Eberechi Eze grabbed the only goal of the game with a whipped strike at the top of the box from a short corner routine. The Gunners have now ended a losing streak of four fixtures across all domestic competitions, and they hope to turn this momentum towards their match in the Champions League.
*"The three points were massive. After the week we had against Manchester City, there was a lot of encouragement to take from that game, but we knew coming into this, with five games left, we have to win all five. To tick that one off today was a real boost, so we’re really, really happy with the win.*
*“I think Bayer Leverkusen was his best, but that's a great goal. That's what [**Eberechi Eze*] has been brought here to do. I said a few weeks ago, his ball striking is unbelievable. What a player, what a guy, and he's going to be massive for us these next few weeks. We really need him.
“[Being positive] is what it's been all season, and that's what we want it to be towards the end of the season, staying top, staying positive. Four games to go, and that's what we want to do, keep winning more matches, and we're going to be ready for that.
“We played in tough games the last three or four years at the highest level. We know what to expect, what's to come. We’re Champions League semi-finalists, let’s embrace it, enjoy it, and bring it on.
*“To be honest, you don't think about it too much because you can't be thinking about the future when you've got games like today. Obviously now I can focus on Atletico Madrid, but you can't get too caught up with what's to come, it just takes up too much of your energy. You need to focus on what we can control in the next game.*
“We focus on Atletico, it's really exciting. We've got to keep going and be ready for what's to come.”