Troy Deeney left Declan Rice slightly red-faced with a comment during the Arsenal star’s post-match interview with CBS Sports following the Gunners' Carabao Cup semi-final victory against Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday (February 3).
Arsenal came into the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with a one-goal advantage over Chelsea, having defeated the Blues 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
And the match proved to be a tense affair with few chances for either side before Kai Havertz’s 97th-minute strike ensured Arsenal won 1-0 and progressed to their first domestic cup final in almost six years.
Mikel Arteta’s side can still win all four trophies - Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup – on offer this season, although the feat has never been achieved previously by a Premier League club.
Advert
But winning their first Premier League title since 2003/04 will, no doubt, be the primary goal in mind for both Arsenal’s fans and players as the season progresses, with the Gunners currently six points clear of second-place Manchester City with 14 games to go.
Rice in particular appears to have the thought of winning the Premier League on his mind, with the England man mistakenly saying “we had the league” during an interview with CBS pundit Deeney following last night’s game.
When speaking about the management of games this season, Rice said: “We’re going into the game today, we knew we had the league, erm, the lead in the tie.”
“The league already,” Deeney joked before Rice chuckled and replied: “My bad.”
“We all said it to each other before the game, we’re one game away from Wembley, how much do you want it?” the England midfielder revealed.
“We haven’t been there [in a final] for many years.”
The 27-year-old then focused on Arteta, explaining how the Spaniard has “total control” of all aspects of the club “from top to bottom”.
Rice explained: “From the training ground to the way we play…our manager, he has total control of everything from bottom to top of the football club, he controls everything. Everyone listens to him. You can’t step out of line. We all believe in his work.”
The Gunners will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United in the League Cup final at Wembley on March 22.
Arsenal return to action against Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday (February 7).
Topics: Arsenal, Declan Rice, Troy Deeney, Carabao Cup, Football, Premier League, Mikel Arteta
Luke Davies