'Anxiety is through the roof!' - Arsenal stars suffering amid title charge

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 30 Sept 2024 09:20 BST
• 3 min read

Declan Rice has admitted that Arsenal’s first-team squad are mentally suffering amid their pursuit of Premier League and Champions League glory this season.

The Gunners are currently third in the English top flight table, one point behind league leaders Liverpool, and Mikel Arteta’s side host Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night as they look for their first European win of the campaign.

An intense fixture schedule and several injuries to key players means that Arsenal’s squad is being stretched to its limit, and Rice has revealed the toll that it has taken on the team.

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What has Declan Rice said?

He spoke to Football.London following the club’s late 3-2 win over Leicester City on Saturday and admitted: “Mentally it is tough. The anxiety is through the roof!

“You know the pressure of playing for Arsenal, you have to win every game. And if you want to win Premier Leagues and cups, compete at the top, you need to be at your best and you need to win - otherwise the pressure mounts.

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“So when that second goal went in for them today, one thought is - we can’t lose this game, we have to keep going.

“At the end it is kind of like a sigh of relief, because we won the game, we deserved to win the game.

“That was probably the most comfortable we have been in the first half all season, in terms of passing the ball, dominating the ball. There are lots of positives to take, but still so much to improve on. As the season goes on, I am sure you are going to keep seeing the best of us.”

Arsenal remain unbeaten in 2024-25, with the Gunners picking up five wins and three draws across all competitions so far this campaign.

On a personal level, Rice has made seven appearances this season, scoring once and assisting once during a 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup last week.