Declan Rice has reflected on Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Liverpool as the Gunners beat the league leaders to move within two points of the top of the table.
Mikel Arteta’s side produced an impressive performance to beat a below-par Liverpool in North London, as goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard handed Arsenal a huge win.
Saka turned in a rebound to open the scoring in a first half that Arsenal dominated, though Liverpool levelled fortuitously before the break through Gabriel’s own goal.
Arsenal were then gifted a goal of their own as a mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson allowed Martinelli a tap-in, before Trossard came off the bench to wrap up the win after Ibrahima Konate had been sent off for the visitors.
Defeat would have seen Arsenal fall eight points behind the table-toppers and Rice admits his team were delighted to secure the points in a must-win contest for the club’s title hopes.
“We knew the importance of the game today, the small margins of football and the gap would have either come bigger or smaller,” he said to Sky Sports.
“The only focus from everyone was to win and get three points.
“From start to finish it has been really positive and I think you could feel that today.
“Because we have people like Jorginho and skipper – Jorginho was good today.
“It was a kick in the teeth to concede, but we knew we had a good 45 minutes [in the first half] and we had to go out there and give everything.
“Of course when you are competing for titles they will tell you every game is so important.
“To do it in the way we did that is the thing we live for.”
