Arsenal face West Ham this weekend in what could be one of the final stumbling blocks in the title race.
Arsenal have a smooth run of fixtures to end this season, but this one could be tricky.
Mikel Arteta’s recent record vs West Ham isn’t great, and this is a team fighting for their lives.
However, even so, there’s an argument to make that Arsenal should drop one of their most important players for this game.
Should Arsenal consider dropping Declan Rice vs West Ham?
Could this game be too emotional for him?
Declan Rice should be dropped against West Ham
Dropping Declan Rice sounds ridiculous on paper. He has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season and one of the biggest reasons they are favourites for the Premier League title with three games left.
But against West Ham this weekend, Mikel Arteta may need to make an emotional decision rather than a football one.
Rice’s connection to West Ham runs deeper than most former player reunions. This is the club that built him, trusted him, and made him captain. Speaking this week after Arsenal reached the Champions League final, Rice made it clear just how much the club still means to him.
“It’s a club that gave me everything,” Rice said.
“Without West Ham, there’s no me. I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t.
“A lot of people there really did push me on. (David) Moyes, (Slaven) Bilic, and (Manuel) Pellegrini made me captain. There’s loads of good things about that club.
“It’s not nice to see the position they are, but it’s football and I have a job to do. We’re trying to win a Premier League title. May the best team win.”
Those comments were honest and respectful, but they also underline the emotional weight around this game.
West Ham are fighting relegation. Rice could potentially help send his former club down. That is not a normal situation, especially for someone who still clearly cares deeply about the people there.
This is where Arteta has to protect both the player and the team.
Rice has played almost every game this season and he is someone who could benefit from a rest.
Arsenal also finally have midfield depth capable of handling a game like this. Myles Lewis-Skelly has been outstanding recently, while Martin Zubimendi has shown he can control matches at the highest level.
Against a struggling West Ham side, Arsenal should still have enough quality without Rice.
There’s no shame in admitting that this is an emotional occasion for Rice, and, when the margins are this fine, it may be better to have Lewis-Skelly and Zubimendi operating at 100% mental capacity rather than Rice who may well have mixed feelings heading into this game.
There’s no blame to place on Rice if he does indeed feel uneasy about potentially relegating his former side, but it may be the right thing for everyone if he sits this one out and recuperates for the final few games of the league season and the Champions League final.
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