Declan Rice acknowledged that while he plays for Arsenal, his anxiety levels are through the roof. It feels like the rollercoaster run-in for the title has already started given the events of the last week. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners exude a calm, desperate look. Desperation resulting from a desire to unseat Manchester City while being utterly aware of the obstacles in the way of winning a championship for the first time since 2004.
In addition to the physical strain of competing in four competitions, it has a significant emotional cost on the athletes. Arsenal’s next matchup is against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, which should provide plenty of excitement. Fear was the emotional catalyst for 63 minutes on Saturday, but Rice and his refocused teammates never appeared to be in danger. The three points lost to newly promoted Leicester were needlessly larger if the point with 10 men at the Etihad last week was a significant one.
Declan Rice admits Arsenal stars are already suffering title anxiety
There is still 32 League games left, but Rice maintains his title favourites are already going through “Squeaky Bum Time.” With so many games to choose from, he noted, it can be mentally taxing. Knowing the pressure of playing for Arsenal, you can see why your nervousness is through the sky. Premier League titles are earned via winning; failure to do so results in increasing pressure. As we entered the game, we were aware of its magnitude. It was challenging when it came down to two-all. Even while there are many things to be happy about, we still have a lot to work on and we should have won.
