At a Glance:
Arsenal fans create special chant for Declan Rice.
Rice lifts the Premier League title.
Rice on his critics.
After three seasons as an Arsenal player, Declan Rice has finally lifted his first piece of silverware by helping break the club’s 22-year wait for a Premier League title.
Rice was rested against Crystal Palace and yet, he witnessed the Gunners put in a professional performance to beat the Eagles 3-0 at Selhurst Park.
The England international has arguably been the North Londoners’ best player throughout this campaign and finally becoming a Premier League champion must have been a watershed moment for him.
Rice even stood out against Burnley, for instance, a game that ultimately won Arsenal the title but the fans were appreciative of him for a different reasons.
Arsenal fans praise Declan Rice for believing in Premier League title dream
Rice believed Arsenal would win the title and famously said, “It’s not done” even after his side lost 2-1 to Manchester City.
Arsenal fans celebrated Rice’s self-belief in his side’s title dream by coming up with a new chant about the midfielder, as revealed by journalist Sam Dean.
“He said it’s not done, he said it’s not done… Declan Rice, he said it’s not done.”
Arsenal fans have a new chant. "He said it's not done, he said it's not done… Declan Rice, he said it's not done."
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) May 24, 2026
While some would have felt that Manchester City would have run away with the title when they trounced his side, the former West Ham United’s iron-clad mentality showed this Arsenal team have the makings of champions.
Declan Rice speaks out on his critics
As Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, Rice’s assuredness will be priceless to Mikel Arteta’s side as they embark on a journey to win their first Champions League.
At the end of the day, teams often win trophies due to big characters like the 27-year-old.
Strangely, Rice noticed that his claim after Arsenal lost to Manchester City was perceived as many as a performative gesture for the gestures.
Rice told Arsenal’s official in-house media: “That’s the other mad thing, it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s saying it for the cameras.’ Bro, there’s 100 cameras, I didn’t know I’m getting recorded saying that.
“I’m thinking, how am I getting recorded saying that? How am I supposed to know? How have I been caught saying it’s not done but it’s worked out.”
Ultimately, Rice was proven right as Arsenal went on to dethrone Liverpool to become Premier League champions.
Srinivas Sadhanand
Srinivas Sadhanand is a writer for Read Arsenal and Read Man City, with over eight years of experience as a sports journalist. He has worked for established companies such as GRV Media, The Economic Times, Urban Pitch and Sportskeeda among several others. From interview athletes to writing detailed tactical pieces and covering the impact streetwear and music in football, he has many strings to his bow as a journalist. Being a lifelong Manchester City fan, he specialises in writing about them and the Premier League in particular. Away from the desk, he loves watching European football, cricket, films, listening to music and exploring new foods.
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