Rice Defiant as Arsenal Beat Newcastle to Reclaim Top Spot

Declan Rice insists Arsenal must win their final four games 

Eze’s early goal gives Arsenal a 1-0 win over Newcastle to go top again. Rice says Gunners must win final four league games to hold off Man City.

  

'One down, four to go' Rice says Arsenal focused on results after nervy win...

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice captured the defiant mood after his side’s nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle United sent them back to the top of the Premier League on Saturday.

 

“After last week’s defeat by Manchester City we said we have to win five games if we want to win the Premier League,” he said.

“That's one down and now four to go. It was about winning no matter how we win.”

Stuttering Arsenal have watched a nine-point lead in the title race disappear, and last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, plus City’s narrow win at Burnley on Wednesday, knocked them off top spot for the first time since October.

  

Saturday’s win, clinched by Eberechi Eze’s superb ninth-minute strike, was tough, but it put Arsenal three points clear again, even though City have a game in hand.

With Arsenal and City’s goal difference nearly identical, the title race is now a five-game sprint. Mikel Arteta’s side turns its attention to home games against Fulham and Burnley and trips to West Ham United and Crystal Palace - hardly the toughest run-in.

  

Win all four, and they’ll have a strong shot at securing their first league title since 2004.

“It’s exciting times. There’s a lot to play for,” Rice added. He’ll be back anchoring the midfield away to Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

💬 “Five games left, we have to win all five, and to tick that one off today was a real boost.”

Declan shares his thoughts after collecting three points at home 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 25, 2026

  

Arsenal’s players looked exhausted at the final whistle after 97 minutes of hard work. But captain Martin Odegaard insisted there would be no let-up in Arsenal’s push to keep City at bay.

“This schedule is crazy. We just have to keep going. It is the ‌end of the season, just leave everything out that we have inside, fight every single game, and we just have to keep going,” the Norwegian said.

“That's where we want to be, but it is going to go all the ⁠way to the end.”

WE KEEP PUSHING. pic.twitter.com/0TFvE1TVNT

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 25, 2026

“We ⁠are ready for it, and ‌we will fight every single day,” he added.