Arsenal earned a win over Burnley with goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice - and the latter's celebration had a poignant reason as he pointed to the sky after his strike
Declan Rice
Declan Rice scored Arsenal's second(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Arsenal star Declan Rice has revealed he pointed to the sky as he celebrated his goal against Burnley to pay tribute to his late auntie. The Gunners midfielder dedicated his strike to his relative after she passed away ahead of Arsenal's match against Fulham in October.
Rice's auntie was a regular follower of the north London side, travelling far and wide to follow her nephew's career. And the England international's thoughts quickly turned to her when he hit the back of the net against the Clarets.
Rice headed in from Leandro Trossard's cross as the Gunners completed a devastating break to extend their lead following Viktor Gyokeres' opener. The 26-year-old revealed the reason he pointed to the sky following Arsenal's win at Turf Moor.
"My auntie passed away before the Fulham game," he said. "I loved her to death. Travelled everywhere to watch me with my mum. I know she's watching down so that was for her today."
Rice believes he embodied a traditional No.9 as his side offered Scott Parker's side a rare home defeat. The midfielder reckons Arsenal could have scored more in the opening half.
"They've maybe lost once in like 18 months," he said. "We knew it was going to be tough, so we had to stick to our principles. Our quality shone through and we could have scored four or five in the first half.
"It's important we keep scoring goals. Two goals are perfect for us. If you look at the goal as a whole, we're defending a long throw from our own half. Big Gabby wins the ball and I keep running with the ball. I was like a traditional number nine!"
Mikel Arteta was impressed with all aspects of Rice's play on Saturday afternoon. The Spaniard believes his charge delivered when it mattered.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice played well against Burnley
View 2 Images
"He stepped up," said Arteta. "He won I don't know how many balls and tackles. It's the evolution of a player."
The Gunners boss had equally high praise for his side's display, particularly in the first 45 minutes.
"The first half was exceptional, we scored two goals and gave nothing away," he said. That was the platform.
"We had to make a few changes and didn't have that much control in the second half. Defending was exceptional again, we didn't give anything. There is a reason they have lost one game in 18 months here, against Liverpool in the last second of the game."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us, and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Content Image
Content Image