Declan Rice watched the final moments of the Premier League season after Arsenal's win, and saw former side West Ham suffer relegation to the Championship. The England midfielder was visibly gutted as he found out West Ham had been relegated, just minutes after Arsenal secured victory at Crystal Palace to confirm their status as champions.
Rice's Reaction
Footage has emerged of Rice throwing his arms up when the results were confirmed, shaking his head as he looked disappointed despite the Arsenal celebrations that were about to begin. The Gunners were confirmed as champions on Tuesday night, and won for the final time as they secured victory at Crystal Palace. Their game finished minutes before the relegation battle had its final moments.
Tottenham's game with Everton was delayed due to a VAR issue and theirs was the last match to finish on Sunday. Rice's former side, where he won the Europa Conference League before his £100million switch to Arsenal, knew they needed to beat Leeds and for Everton to do them a favour. The Hammers beat Leeds 3-0 at the London Stadium, but Tottenham edged out the Toffees 1-0 thanks to Joao Palhinha's strike, ensuring they remained a top flight side.
West Ham's Season
West Ham hired Nuno Espirito Santo in a bid to save their season, but they lost three of their final four games, which proved costly and ended their 14-season stay in the Premier League. “It’s a moment of deep sadness for all of us at the club,” said the Hammers boss, whose own future will now be called into question. “It was a tough day, we had a tough mission, we lost the privilege of deciding our own future. If you ask me now about the past and the future, I don’t think it’s the best days to understand the moment of sadness of our fans, of ourselves, of the club, and apologise and thank them for all of the support they gave us. It was a strange season in terms of points, normally 39 I think in the last 10 years or so has given the teams enough to keep safe. We improved, but it’s not enough.”
Rice's Focus on Champions League
Rice meanwhile can finish his club season with Champions League victory as Arsenal prepare to face PSG in six days time. The Gunners will go in as underdogs as they seek to win the club's first ever European Cup. He told Sky Sports: "The message from the manager already is to enjoy today, but tomorrow is full focus on PSG, because we've got a massive opportunity there. We want that. We want the double. We want to push for that. And then of course England. There's a lot coming up. I'm sure it will all be worth it."
