Declan Rice was clear after Arsenal's 1-0 win over Burnley at the Emirates Stadium. “It’s not done,” he said, as Arsenal moved one match away from the title and Kai Havertz's first-half header settled the game.
Rice's point was not just about caution. Arsenal have won their last four matches without conceding a goal since the defeat to Manchester City on April 19, and that is the run that has kept the title chase in their own hands.
Why Rice sounded so emotional
Rice's longer message after the final whistle said plenty about the mood inside the squad. “Look, it is in our hands. We have turned it around. We have won every game since we last lost and that is all we tried to do, to keep winning and to stay positive,” he said.
He also framed the run-in as something bigger than a simple table position. “We knew on the inside that we had the belief and we could still win it. We haven't won it yet, there is still one to go. And Sunday is going to be proper,” Rice said.
That matters because Arsenal are not chasing from behind. They are top of the Premier League, and the last five league results are five straight wins. Rice has made 36 Premier League appearances this season, so this is not a peripheral voice talking around the team. He is one of the players carrying the message from inside the dressing room.
The defence has built the platform
Rice's clearest praise was for the back line and David Raya. “I don't know where this club would be without the back four and the goalkeeper. It is stuff I have never seen before,” he said.
The numbers back that up. Arsenal have conceded only 26 league goals in 36 matches, and Raya's clean sheet against Burnley was his 19th of the season. That also equalled the club record held by David Seaman.
Raya said after the match, “Credit to everyone the way we defend, the way we work to keep those clean sheets. There are so many games that are won by only one goal so if you keep that clean sheet it is easier to win games.”
He also brushed off the late collision with Zian Flemming, saying, “Yeah, I had a dead back, a dead glute and a dead shoulder but I'll be fine. Ice bath, I'm going straight away to the ice bath.”
The clean-sheet figure is the big one here. Arsenal's title push has not been built on free-flowing chaos. It has been built on control, repeated one-goal wins and a defence that has barely given opponents a look.
If Arsenal finish the job, Rice's message after Burnley will read as the right tone at the right time. The title is not secured yet, but the next match will decide whether the run ends with a trophy or just a very good chase.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
