Declan Rice raised his past with Chelsea after Arsenal booked a place in the Champions League final
Declan Rice speaking to Prime Video
Declan Rice spoke about West Ham and Chelsea following Arsenal's semi-final win(Image: Prime Video/YouTube)
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Declan Rice took a swipe at Chelsea moments after helping Arsenal book a place in the Champions League final. Rice was instrumental as the Gunners overcame Atletico Madrid in their semi-final second leg, with Bukayo Saka's goal clinching a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Focus will now return to the Premier League title race, which the Gunners are commanding following Manchester City's 3-3 draw at Everton on Monday. Three points at Rice's former club, West Ham, on Sunday would significantly boost Arsenal's hopes of landing their first league crown in 22 years.
When quizzed about the game at the London Stadium, Rice expressed his appreciation to the Hammers, who signed him after he had been let go by Chelsea aged just 14. Rice told Prime Video: "That club gave me everything, without West Ham there's no me.
"I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn't. A lot of people there really pushed me on, (David) Moyes, (Slaven) Bilic and (Manuel) Pellegrini made me captain. There's loads of good things about that club, so it's not nice to see the position they're in.
"But it's football and I've got a job to do on Sunday. We're trying to win a Premier League title, we want to win every game and I'm sure they will want to as well, so let the best team win."
On the mood inside the Gunners' dressing room, Rice added: "It is chaos in there. I don't think you can underestimate what we have done in this competition up to this point.
"I think we have every right to celebrate that moment. The most prestigious competition in club football. We are just trying to soak it all in.
David Moyes and Declan Rice
Declan Rice led West Ham to European glory and hopes his old side avoid relegation(Image: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
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"We knew coming into the game what was at stake. If you can't get up for that, then you can't get up for any game of football. When we went 1-0 up, I knew we were going to win. I could feel something special building."
Arteta also relished the occasion but is now eager for his squad to swiftly refocus so they can arrive in Budapest for the final as Premier League champions. Should they claim victory in their remaining three games, against the Hammers, Burnley and Crystal Palace, they will achieve exactly that.
Mikel Arteta an Leandro Trossard
There were wild celebrations after Arsenal's semi-final win on Tuesday(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA)
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The Spaniard said: "It's great. Everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything.
"Let's use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve are huge, but that we have the ability and the conviction to do it."
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