In a high-stakes north London derby, Declan Rice found himself at the center of a nightmare scenario for Arsenal fans should he fail to achieve a result.
Shortly after demanding focus and composure from his teammates, the England midfielder suffered a fatal “Steven Gerrard slip” moment, allowing Randal Kolo Muani to score Tottenham Hotspur’s equalizing goal.
The similarities to Gerrard’s infamous blunder against Chelsea in 2014 are striking. With Arsenal appearing to be in complete control with Eberechi Eze leading the charge, Rice was seen visibly gesticulating to his fellow players urging them to stay switched on and avoid “stupid mistakes”.
But it was Rice who blinked less than two minutes later.
Declan Rice makes a fatal mistake minutes after telling his team-mates to stay focused
Rice faced little pressure just outside his own box, but Kolo Muani stole the ball.
Rice appeared to have lost his footing or hesitated on the ball, in a moment similar to when he actually slipped after Gerrard’s “this won’t slip” speech.
Kolo Muani didn’t need a second invitation, stealing the ball from the £105 million man, slipping past William Saliba and finishing low past David Raya.
For a player usually admired for his composure, this high-profile error in a heated derby game is a rare and jarring stain.
A must-win match for Arteta to win the title
The stakes could not be higher for Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal enter this weekend with doubts about their title chances after dropping points against Brentford and Wolves.
With Manchester City in control of the game, the Gunners could lose the Premier League trophy if they don’t win today.
The game continues into a tense second half, but the pressure is firmly on Rice to recover.
Arsenal had the upper hand, but Rice’s ‘Gerrard moment’ gave Spurs the lifeline they hardly deserved in a tight title race.
