Declan Rice had the coolest reaction to Arsenal winning their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Declan Rice has opened up about the calm way the Arsenal team reacted to finally winning the 2026 Premier League title.
Arsenal became champions on Tuesday night without even playing, after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth.
Arsenal had won 1-0 against Burnley on Monday, so City needed a win at the Vitality Stadium to keep their hopes alive. But a goal by Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi changed everything and handed Arsenal the title, 22 years after their last Premier League win.
Right after the result, Arsenal’s official account shared a graphic celebrating the big achievement, and clips showed the players celebrating together at their training ground in London Colney.
Now, star player Declan Rice has shared his first reaction to winning the Premier League, showing why he’s one of the club’s most popular players. On Instagram, Rice posted a picture with some teammates, including Bukayo Saka, holding a cardboard cutout of the trophy. He wrote: “I told you all.. it’s done.”
This cheeky comment refers back to Rice’s words after Arsenal lost to Manchester City in April, when he told captain Martin Odegaard, “it’s not over.” Many fans teased him at the time, but now Rice has had the last laugh.
Rice has been a big part of Arsenal’s success this season. He played in almost all their league matches, scored four goals, helped create five others, and completed over 2,100 passes with about 90% accuracy.
After Rice scored twice in a 3-2 win over Bournemouth in January, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked if he thought Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world. Arteta was sure: “For me yes. Declan is always improving and adding more to his role in the team. I don’t see where he can stop.”
Arsenal now has a few days to celebrate before they get the Premier League trophy during the ceremony after their game against Crystal Palace on Sunday. After that, they’ll have a week to get ready to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30.