Declan Rice subbed due to injury in club career first as Mikel Arteta settles Arsenal silliness towards West Ham
Declan Rice was subbed due to injury in club career first as Mikel Arteta settles Arsenal silliness towards West Ham.
A new rivalry seems to be have born as a result of Declan Rice’s move from West Ham to Arsenal over the summer.
And the fires have been stoked at the Arsenal end over the last couple of weeks, much to the chagrin of West Ham fans.
Much has been said on both the Arsenal and West Ham side of this new divide.
Rice has made a number of comments – notably about seeing football in a completely different way since leaving West Ham for the Gunners – which have irked some Hammers fans.
But he has also made it clear on numerous occasions – including in an interview broadcast before an England match – that he will always love West Ham.
Most at West Ham have made peace with the fact Rice has gone and wish him well. Especially as the money received has been excellently spent on the likes of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Mohammed Kudus.
But many Arsenal supporters continue to goad and antagonise the Hammers over Rice.
The latest is the proclamation that Rice has only now started to become world class under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
Everyone at West Ham knows that is delusion of the highest order.
Rice had proved he was already in that category as a near ever-present for West Ham over the last few years.
So there was an interesting Rice side story around the much hyped north London derby on Sunday.
Rice was subbed due to injury in a club career first as Arteta settles the Arsenal silliness towards West Ham.
The former Hammers skipper was withdrawn at half-time of the clash, which ended 2-2.
And it has emerged he suffered a back injury. The fact Rice was subbed made big news at West Ham too – and with good reason.
Because it was the first time in the midfielder’s senior club career that he has been substituted due to injury.
Arteta revealed Rice asked to be subbed after feeling discomfort in his back.
The only time it has ever happened in his senior career thus far is playing for England – which saw him miss a run of games for West Ham in the 2020-21 campaign.
Being a top professional and athlete, though, Gunners fans can rest assured he will recover as quickly.
Now as Arsenal fans curse their rotten luck over the Rice injury, they need to listen to the wise words of their manager.
Because Arteta has ended the talk about Rice suddenly becoming world class since leaving West Ham for Arsenal.
The Spaniard has insisted the 24-year-old is merely doing what he was doing for the Hammers but in the red and white of his side instead.
“Declan Rice, he’s extraordinary,” Arteta said.
“In terms of how quickly he has adapted, he has surprised me.
“In a really natural way he is doing what he has done for the last few seasons. Now he is doing it for us, in an extraordinary way.”
