Arsenal stars Declan Rice with Eberechi Eze
Image credit: Getty Images
Declan Rice dedicated his goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Burnley to his late aunt, who passed away last month.
The England international found the net alongside Viktor Gyokeres as Mikel Arteta’s men eased past the newly promoted side at Turf Moor on Saturday, maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal broke the deadlock within the first quarter of an hour when summer signing Gyokeres, a £64 million acquisition, grabbed his sixth goal for the club. Rice then doubled the lead before halftime, dropping to his knees and pointing to the sky in an emotional tribute after scoring.
Speaking after the match, Rice revealed the meaning behind his celebration. “My auntie passed away before the Fulham game,” he told Premier League Productions. “I loved her to death. She travelled everywhere to watch me with my mum. I know she’s watching down so that was for her today.”
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Reflecting on the victory over a Burnley side that had been in fine form, Rice acknowledged the challenge Arsenal faced. “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!”
Declan Rice goal
Declan Rice celebrate scoring against Burnley on Saturday (Image credit: Getty Images)
The result extended Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the Premier League to eight points, with Bournemouth and Tottenham set to play later in the weekend.
Arteta was full of admiration for his side’s display, particularly their dominance before the break. “The first half was exceptional, we scored two goals and gave nothing away. That was the platform,” said the Arsenal boss.
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“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.”
The manager also highlighted Rice’s commanding influence in midfield, praising his consistency and leadership. “He stepped up,” Arteta added. “He won I don’t know how many balls and tackles. It’s the evolution of a player.”
With their momentum continuing to build, Arsenal will now turn their attention to Europe as they prepare to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday, before returning to domestic action against in-form Sunderland next weekend.
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