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Scottish football legend Ally McCoist praised Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice following the Gunners' 5-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday, April 23.
The midfielder was instrumental in opening the game up for Mikel Arteta's men as he provided the assist for the first goal. He drove with the ball from deep with intent, before playing the perfect pass into Leandro Trossard, who had made a run on the overlap. The Belgian winger buried his effort in the fourth minute, firing it past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic at the near post.
While Trossard provided the finish, it was Declan Rice who impressed Ally McCoist. The former footballer praised the midfielder's effort on TNT Sports, saying (via TBR Football):
“What a start. It’s all about the aggression from Declan Rice with his piercing run. The weight of the pass and the finish is fantastic. For me, watch the positivity from Rice. He forced Gilchrist to turn his body inside and he releases the pass at the right time. Great goal all round.”
Declan Rice has been one of Arsenal's best players this season following his move from West Ham in the summer. He has already racked up six goals and seven assists from his deep-lying position in the Premier League this season.
Mikel Arteta pleased as Arsenal trounce Chelsea 5-0
The Gunners' 5-0 win in north London on Tuesday saw them go three points clear of their Premier League title rivals. Arsenal have 77 points after 34 matches while Liverpool have 74 after 33 games and Manchester City have 73 from 32 matches.
Arteta expressed his pleasure with his team's performance against Chelsea, telling TNT Sports (via Eurosport):
"Very happy with the win, with the amount of chances and goals we scored and the clean sheet - it shows again the consistency of the team. We weren’t disciplined enough especially with a few things we did with the ball, defending the box. We had to be more disciplined in the second half, we created more chances as well."
The manager added:
“Well what I would like is that they can manage themselves in the dressing room, they know what we are playing for, they are so excited for it and they are so at it. My role is to keep demanding them, challenging them and in the moment making them believe they can do it because I think that’s a very important thing as well.”
While Chelsea will be searching for a way out of their mid-table slump, their London counterparts will be preparing for the weekend. The Gunners have the all-important North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, April 28.
