Rice Urges Arsenal to Ignore ‘Outside Noise’ After Title Lead Narrowed

Declan Rice has called on Arsenal to “block out the outside noise” after the Gunners missed the opportunity to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League following a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

Noni Madueke’s 61st-minute header at the Gtech Community Stadium had put Mikel Arteta’s side on course for a valuable victory. However, Keane Lewis-Potter’s equaliser 10 minutes later ensured Arsenal remain four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

Momentum Shift in Title Race

The result marks a notable shift in the title race. Arsenal had been poised to establish a commanding nine-point advantage before City’s comeback victory over Liverpool at Anfield, followed by a 3-0 win against Fulham, reignited the defending champions’ challenge.

The Gunners have now won just two of their last six league matches, a run that has allowed City to close the gap as the campaign enters its decisive phase.

Arsenal are seeking to end a run of three consecutive second-place finishes and claim their first league title since 2004.

Rice: ‘This Is a Rollercoaster’

Rice acknowledged the challenges of maintaining consistency across a demanding season but stressed that the squad remains composed and focused.

“In this journey, you are never going to be at your peak level for 70 games of the season, but you have to be as close to your best as possible,” Rice said.

“It’s about the small details and the basics. This is a rollercoaster of a season. You can’t be naïve enough to think it’s going to be easy.

“We’re playing against the best teams week in, week out. We have to keep pushing, keep believing in ourselves and control what we can control.

“We have to block out the outside noise. We’ve done that really well. People will talk about the title race and about Arsenal, but we have a very calm group.”

Respect for Brentford

Rice also dismissed any suggestion that Brentford should have been considered straightforward opposition, highlighting the quality of Keith Andrews’ side.

“I’m not naïve enough to think Brentford are a pushover,” he added. “They’re one of the best teams in the league and their recent form shows that.

“It’s a point gained in our journey, but of course we wanted to win the game.”

With a crucial fixture against Manchester City still to come, Arsenal know their title credentials will be tested further in the weeks ahead.