Premier League2 hours ago2 minute read

Declan Rice reveals Mikel Arteta challenge after Arsenal win at Liverpool

Declan Rice set up Kai Havertz to secure a 1-0 victory over Liverpool after Mikel Arteta urged him to do more this season.

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Arteta challenges Rice to step up

Declan Rice has revealed that Mikel Arteta challenged him to do more for Arsenal at the start of this season. The midfielder responded on Sunday by setting up Kai Havertz for the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.

Rice explained that Arteta had a very honest conversation with him before the campaign started. The Arsenal manager told Rice that he still believes the player can do more in an Arsenal shirt. Rice said he has felt really good so far this season, with Sunday marking his fifth assist in the Premier League.

The win put Arsenal top of the Premier League table as they hunt for a second consecutive title. Arsenal now have a record of eight wins and one loss from nine league matches.

Tactical preparation pays off at Anfield

Before the match, Rice and Havertz talked about attacking the box with aggression and making overlapping runs. That plan worked when Rice delivered a cross for Havertz to finish. Havertz gave full credit to his teammate, saying ninety percent of the goal belonged to Rice. Havertz added that for him, it was an easy tap in after a brilliant overlap and cross.

Arsenal had not won at Liverpool in 14 years. Liverpool pushed hard with constant attacks, but failed to put a single shot on target. That was the first time Liverpool ever failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League home match.

Rice praised the team's defensive focus and togetherness under heavy pressure. Even with the big win, Rice insisted it is too early to get excited about the title race. He stated that you can only take the league table seriously in February or March, and that the team just needs to win as many matches as possible until then.

What it means for the next game

Slavia Prague vs Arsenal (Champions League, Wed, 04 Nov): Slavia Prague win 11%, draw 18%, Arsenal win 71%; expected goals 0.88 to 2.44. Our safest pick: Arsenal to win.

Arsenal vs Hull City (Premier League, Sat, 07 Nov): Arsenal win 79%, draw 14%, Hull City win 7%; expected goals 2.72 to 0.70. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.