Former Manchester City and England hero Jill Scott has claimed she “totally disagreed” with Cesc Fabregas after the Arsenal icon made a bizarre claim about Declan Rice.
It comes following a seismic week for the Gunners, with a Champions League night to remember for those who went to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal ran out 3-0 winners over Real Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals, giving them a huge advantage heading into the second leg at the Bernabeu.
While the overall team performance was top tier, it was Declan Rice’s free-kick goals that stole the headlines.
Just before those moments, though, Cesc Fabregas made a bizarre claim about the midfielder, which has come under fire.
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Jill Scott hits back at Cesc Fabregas over Declan Rice claim at Arsenal
Declan Rice has impressed at Arsenal ever since he made the club-record transfer switch from West Ham in 2023.
The performances have often made many forget about the price tag placed on the England international, showing how well he has risen to the occasion.
Despite that, speaking before the Real Madrid game, Fabregas claimed he wanted more from Rice, stating he hasn’t been as complete as he was at West Ham.
Former Manchester City and England player Jill Scott hit back at that claim, though, following the midfielder’s brilliant display against Real Madrid.
Speaking on Stick To Football, she said: “Fabregas did an interview before and he was saying that he doesn’t think you’ve seen the Declan Rice that was at West Ham.
“But when I was watching it, I totally disagreed with him. I think Declan Rice has been brilliant for Arsenal, even before that performance.”
It’s a staunch defence of Rice, who went on to prove Fabregas wrong and will look to do so from every moment onwards.
Declan Rice is one of Arsenal’s true leaders
If there’s one thing that Fabregas has got wrong, it’s surrounding the impact of Rice on the Arsenal team since he arrived.
While there was some initial uncertainty over his position, the left-sided number eight role seems to have suited him well since he made it his own.
Rice has shown real leadership in his attitude and performance, often driving the team forward and coming up with huge moments.
The Real Madrid tie was one of those, with Rice admitting others wanted him to cross the free-kick, but he decided to hit it instead.
It’s those moments, the feeling for an occasion, that can separate the good players from the very best.
He is starting to show he is firmly in the latter category.
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