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Arsenal superstar Declan Rice points to the game against Tottenham on Sunday as a potential turning point for the currently struggling Gunners.
Struggling is a strong word. They are still at the top of the Premier League table. They still finished the league phase of the Champions League with a perfect record, so without context, it does not quite seem like things are wrong with Arsenal at the moment.
However, the shocking draw against relegation-bound Wolves felt like a loss. It felt like two points lost rather than one gained. Arsenal had a two-goal cushion that had vanished by the 90th minute, and it put more pressure on the players as well as the coach, who has now seen Arsenal drop points in five games since the turn of the year.
Rice knows that. He is well aware of it. He knows things have to massively improve for Arsenal to end their 22-year drought and lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since the Invincibles did in 2004.
Declan Rice points to one game that could reignite Arsenal’s title charge
He looked at the game against Tottenham on Sunday as the perfect reason for them to get it together and start a winning streak. That is what Arsenal need to do, and a game against their biggest rivals is the perfect occasion for it.
He said: “The North London Derby is the perfect game to respond. It's a massive game, one that is going to be massive in our season.
“I remember Bukayo Saka saying: 'You can't lose derbies here to Spurs'. For the fan base, everyone, the players, the staff - that's the game you can't lose.
“We don't need to have a conversation in terms of what the derby means to the club, the fans, the players know that.
“It's not just about how you play, it's about how many duels you're going to win, how much you want to win for this team and this club. We're going to be ready.”
Things are not finalised, still. There is a reason the season continues into May. There are so many games still left to play for this young side, and they will keep challenging for the league until the last minute.
The ball is still in Arsenal's court, as they still hold a five-point lead (having played one game more) over Manchester City. However, they need to change their ways heavily if they want to hold the trophy in May.
Rice knows that, which is why his quotes about the Tottenham game are absolutely spot on. The Gunners need a lot of inspiration right now, and what better way to get that inspiration than playing against your struggling rivals?