SK Slavia Praha v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
Declan Rice starred in Arsenal’s win over Slavia Prague (Picture: Getty)
Declan Rice couldn’t help reminisce over one of the most significant moments of his career following Arsenal’s Champions League win over Slavia Prague.
The England international played a prominent role in a 3-0 victory that extended the Gunners’ winning streak to 10 matches in all competitions as they took another big step towards the knockout stages.
Slavia’s Fortuna Arena holds fond memories for Rice, given it hosted the Conference League final two years ago which saw West Ham defeat Fiorentina and claim a first major trophy in a generation.
Taking a moment to remember that triumph, Rice wrote on Instagram: ‘This exact end and stadium. The best memories here. Forever grateful.’
Rice’s relationship with a section of West Ham fans has never been the same since he swapped east for north London just weeks after that landmark victory.
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The 26-year-old was even criticised after he responded to jibes during the most recent meeting between the two clubs by staring down the away fans after he opened the scoring in last month’s 2-0 win.
Rice, meanwhile, had a new midfield partner to get acquainted with last night after summer recruit Christian Norgaard made a rare start.
Declan Rice helped West Ham win the Conference League (Picture: Instagram)
The former Brentford skipper has endured an injury interrupted start to his Arsenal career but has begun to feature more frequently in recent weeks.
‘I really enjoyed it,’ said Norgaard after completing 90 minutes.
‘We knew it was going to be difficult coming here, they make it very hard for their opponents with their direct play and they’re very physical.
‘Over 90 minutes, we deserved the win, and it’s always good to get another clean sheet.
‘We have a lot of momentum right now, and it’s like compounding wins. It’s easier when you win over a lot of games, but you also know that it only takes a little bit of complacency for it to go the other way.
‘So we need to remind each other how important the next game is, the next training [session], analyse this one, and be ready for Sunderland on Saturday.’
SK Slavia Praha v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
Declan Rice registered another assist with his cross helping Mikel Merino make the score 3-0 (Picture: Getty)
At the opposite end of the experience scale, it was an historic night for Max Dowman after he became the first 15-yea-rold to feature in the competition.
‘I still hadn’t made my senior debut [at 15], and I was probably just looking at the Champions League on TV!’ Norgaard added.
‘It’s very, very impressive – and the thing is with Max, it’s not just to make it a story that he’s the youngest, he fully deserves it.
‘He’s good enough to play at this level – he showed it today, he showed it against Brighton. He showed it when he came on in the Premier League as well.
‘The future is bright for him, he just has to keep doing the right things, and it’s our responsibility to remind him of that.
‘He’s very humble, he wants to learn, he wants to improve, and I think they’re some of the attributes you need to reach the highest level.’
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