Arsenal: Declan Rice responds to 'cheating' claims as set-piece kings secure another win

Declan Rice has dismissed speech that Arsenal are “cheating” connected set-pieces with their usage of blockers.

Mikel Arteta’s broadside were the champion squad astatine set-pieces successful the Premier League past play and person continued their good signifier this year.

The Gunners’ prowess from set-pieces has led to them being scrutinised, with their usage of players to artifact absorption goalkeepers highlighted, but Rice believes Arsenal person not been breaking immoderate rules.

Teams bash it to america and we are conscionable trying to exploit different teams’ weaknesses, we’ve recovered a mode to bash that again

Declan Rice

“I deliberation we bash a small spot of enactment [on the transportation of set-pieces] erstwhile we can,” helium said. “Obviously with the crippled schedule, it is truly pugnacious to get onto the writer and truly practice, truthful we conscionable person interior discussions astir what we are going to do.

“Look, determination is ever going to beryllium conversations astir america blocking and making fouls, but I deliberation the goals we person scored from set-pieces this season, I don’t deliberation determination has been 1 foul involved.

“Sometimes radical look for a foul oregon radical are mentioning that we are cheating successful a mode connected set-pieces due to the fact that we are blocking, but it’s portion of the game. Teams bash it to america and we are conscionable trying to exploit different teams’ weaknesses. We recovered a mode to bash that again [against Leicester].”

Arsenal near it precocious to bushed Leicester connected Saturday successful what was a invaluable 3 points for Arteta’s side. Manchester City had dropped points earlier successful the time by drafting astatine Newcastle and Arsenal knew a triumph would determination them level with the reigning champions.

Arsenal bushed Tottenham earlier this period and drew astatine City too, but asked if the triumph implicit Leicester was adjacent bigger fixed the quality of it, Rice said: “Yeah, I deliberation you’re right. I deliberation we knew contiguous coming into this crippled however large it was, that we had to win. When it went to 2-2, it was tough.

“You look up astatine the clock, you think, ‘we’ve inactive got clip here’ - but you person besides got 1 thought thinking, ‘we cannot driblet points, we cannot driblet points contiguous if we privation to vie astatine the extremity of the play and triumph the title’.

“Look, we kept going, kept believing and successful the extremity 3 points was massive. Mentally it is tough. The anxiousness is done the roof! You cognize the unit of playing for Arsenal, you person to triumph each game.

“If you privation to triumph Premier Leagues and cups, vie astatine the top, you request to beryllium astatine your champion and you request to triumph - different the unit mounts. So erstwhile that 2nd extremity went successful for them today, 1 thought is - we can’t suffer this game, we person to support going.

“At the extremity it is benignant of similar a suspiration of relief, due to the fact that we won the game, we deserved to triumph the game.”